Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Houghton Bay.

The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, with a lot of wind and lumpy conditions to sift through. The first few days are pretty much a write-off, so don’t even bother waxing up until we get past the weekend. There’s a promising window of clean, smaller surf early next week, and then a big, powerful pulse rolls in for the start of August, though it comes with plenty of wind. The standout session is looking like Monday morning, 27 July, at Houghton Bay.

That Monday morning (27 July), the wind drops to glassy—absolutely dead calm—and you’ve got a 2ft swell from the SSW with a period of 11 seconds. It’s a long period groundswell, which is perfect for this exposed beach and reef setup, giving shaped-up lines and long waits between sets. The combined swell energy is a moderate 203, so there’s enough push to get you moving. The water is sitting at 53°F, which is about average for the time of year, so a good wetsuit is a must. This is the pick of the forecast for clean, cruisy waves.

The good news continues into Tuesday, 28 July. The morning session sees a 4ft ESE groundswell (13-second period) with a gentle offshore wind from the N. Combined energy is up to a solid 432, meaning moderate power. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore breeze, keeping the faces tidy. This is a solid runner-up for the week.

Now, the gap. After that Tuesday, the wind starts to howl from the N and NNW, making it hard to paddle into anything, even though the swell direction stays favourable. From Wednesday, 29 July, right through to the end of the month, the conditions get messy with strong winds and onshore flow. There’s a brief moment on Friday afternoon, 31 July, where the wind goes glassy again, and you get a 2ft SSW groundswell, but it’s a short-lived window.

Then we hit the big stuff. The start of August brings a serious pulse of swell. Saturday morning, 1 August, you’ve got a 10ft SSW swell, but it’s short period at 7 seconds, coming with a fresh offshore wind. The combined energy is a massive 1062, which is strong, but that short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy and closed out. This is expert territory, and only for the brave. The following days see even bigger swell—up to 16ft from the SSE on 6 August—but that’s accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds, making it a messy, blown-out mess. Not recommended for a paddle, but if you’re into kite surfing, that 16ft and 4026 combined energy on Thursday, 6 August, will be a wild ride.

To sum it up: get out there on Monday, 27 July, or Tuesday, 28 July, for the cleanest, most fun waves. The big stuff at the start of August is a wind-blown spectacle for experts only.

Rusty.

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