Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our stretch of coast.

The next 16 days start out pretty quiet, with a few small, messy waves this weekend and Monday. The first real standout isn't until Tuesday the 28th, but we've got a solid run of swell coming after that, so it's worth being patient.

Houghton Bay is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the south. The water's sitting at 54°F, which is exactly average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The first bright spot is Tuesday morning, July 28th. The wind turns northerly and offshore, which is a major positive – it'll be clean. We've got a 4.3ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 12 seconds (a nice long groundswell), and the combined wave energy is moderate at 538. It's a good, solid offering for intermediates, and the offshore wind will have it looking tidy. This is the pick of the first week.

The afternoon of the 28th is still clean with a 3.6ft swell, but the morning is the better bet.

The 29th and 30th see the wind howling from the north, gusting over 25 mph. The swell drops and the conditions are poor, so you're better off finding something else to do.

Then we hit a massive but messy period. August 1st brings a huge 14.8ft S swell, but it's howling onshore from the south at 22 mph. That's not for paddle surfing – that's kite territory, or one for the experts only. The wave energy is extreme (4287). It stays big and a bit lumpy through the 2nd with 9.8-11.5ft swells, but still onshore, so it's a marginal call.

The next real standout is the morning of Wednesday, August 5th. This is a beauty. The wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm – and we've got a 6.6ft swell from the south with a 10-second period. The energy is a strong 1041. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The conditions will be perfect, and the size is meaty. This is the best session in the whole outlook.

The afternoon of the 5th is still good, with a 5.6ft clean swell, but the morning is the magic window.

The 6th and 7th drop off in size, with clean but small 3.3ft and then 1.6ft days. The 8th of August picks up again with a 9.8ft SSW swell, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph offshore. It's clean, but that wind strength will make it tricky to get into the waves.

The 9th has a solid 8.2ft S swell with a moderate offshore wind, giving good, clean conditions. The energy is moderate (674). It's a good option for the second weekend.

After that, the 10th drops back but stays clean, with 6.2ft SSE swells and a fresh offshore wind.

So, the two true standouts are Tuesday morning, July 28th, and Wednesday morning, August 5th. The 5th is the one to circle on the calendar – it's got the best conditions of the entire run.

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