Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down what's cooking for the next couple of weeks.

It's a strange one for Houghton Bay. We've got a serious pulse of energy coming through mid-week, but it's going to be a total write-off for surfing. The ocean is going to be a mess. Then we get a small window of cleaner, more manageable waves before it all fades away into nothing.

Monday the 3rd gives us a little taste of what's to come with a 4ft SSW swell and a 12-second period. The combined energy is moderate (661). The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 16 mph, which keeps the surface tidy, but it's only a marginal call. The water temp is about 55°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Tuesday the 4th is a big, fat no-go. A massive 18ft SSW swell hits, but it's hammered by a screaming 34 mph onshore wind. The energy is off the charts (9107), but nobody in their right mind would be out there. Same story carries through Wednesday the 5th with a 13ft S swell and strong onshore winds.

Thursday the 6th is where things start to get interesting. The swell drops right back to 5ft from the SSE, but the real magic is Thursday afternoon. The wind swings to a light NNW offshore at just 6 mph, with the swell settling to 4ft and a 10-second period. The energy is moderate (690). It's glassy, clean, and the best bet for a proper session this week.

Friday the 7th is a tease. The swell period jumps to a very long 16 seconds on a 4ft S swell, which is a proper groundswell. That long period can make it break a bit straight at a beach-and-reef setup like this, but it's worth a look. The problem is the wind is a stiff 22-25 mph cross-off, which makes it a tough paddle. The energy is strong (1064). Saturday afternoon the 8th offers another chance: a 4ft S swell with a 12 mph offshore breeze from the NNW. The energy is moderate (399), and conditions should be clean and fun.

After that, the surf gets smaller and windier. Sunday the 9th has a 5ft S swell but it's onshore, and by Monday the 10th we're down to tiny 2ft leftovers. The rest of the second week is a slow fade. From the 11th to the 18th of August, we've got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell with combined energy readings dropping below 100. There are a few moments of clean, glassy conditions, like the afternoon of the 16th when the wind goes glassy, but there's just no wave energy to ride. It's a classic late-winter lull for this spot.

The standout is Thursday afternoon, August 6th. The 4ft S swell with that light offshore breeze is going to be the cleanest, most user-friendly wave of the whole period. It's not huge, but it'll be fun. The other call is Saturday afternoon, August 8th, with a similar setup of offshore wind and a clean southerly swell. Both are worth a look.

Rusty.

Read more