Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Houghton Bay.

Honestly, Houghton Bay, it’s a tough stretch ahead. The first few days are basically a write-off for paddling. We’ve got some tiny little 1ft easterly dribble with howling offshore winds – sounds good for the face, but it’s near impossible to get into. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, nothing weird there.

Things take a turn on Monday the 6th of July. A big southerly swell jumps up to 12ft with some serious energy (combined energy of all swells directed here 1239) and the wind swings light and cross-off in the afternoon. That gives us clean, powerful waves, but at that size, this is strictly for the experienced crew. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and dumpy, not your classic long-lining groundswell.

Tuesday the 7th stays big and heaving, 10ft plus, but the wind turns onshore and messy. Not good. Wednesday the 8th gets even bigger – 16ft on Wednesday morning with a massive energy reading (4319), but it’s blowing a gale straight onshore. That’s just a washing machine. Honestly, with the size of that swell and the wind tearing it up, a beach and reef setup like Houghton Bay looks more like a kite surfer’s playground than something you’d want to tackle on a paddle board.

We get a bit of respite by Saturday the 11th of July. The swell drops to a more manageable 4ft from the southeast with a light breeze. It’s onshore, but the energy is still there and the surf looks workable. It’s still a bit middling, but a whole lot better than what came before.

Then, look here, Monday the 13th of July is where it’s at. The swell drops to 8ft but it’s from the south with a long 11 second period – proper groundswell energy. And the wind? Glassy. Absolutely dead flat. That combined energy of all swells directed here is 1272, so there’s plenty of punch. This is the standout. For experienced surfers, this is the cleanest, most powerful session of the whole run. Given the longer period, Houghton Bay’s reef setup should really handle that south swell well compared to a straight beach break.

Tuesday the 14th stays clean and glassy in the morning with 6ft south swell, good conditions but a step down in size. After that, the wind kicks up strong again and the surf fades out into the second week, with a few small, blown-out leftovers.

So if you’re a strong surfer and you can hold your nerve, Monday the 13th is your window. That glassy, 8ft south groundswell is the only real treasure in a pretty bare chest.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty

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