In Betweens Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our little patch of coast, specifically at In Betweens. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, the water’s sitting at 81°F – that’s bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The issue is, for the first few days, we’ve got a bit of a frustrating wait. Monday the 3rd through to the end of the following week is looking pretty average. The swell is coming in from the ENE, around 5 ft to 5 ft, but it’s a short-period, windswell affair (8 to 10 seconds). The combined energy is moderate (around 400-500), but the wind is howling from the ENE at 15 to 22 mph, which is cross-off but just too strong to keep things truly clean and fun. It’s marginal, and the excitement is low.

Tuesday the 4th sees a slight bump in period to 11 seconds, giving a bit more push with energy around 560, and the wind drops to a gentler 9 mph, making for a cleaner surface. Still, nothing to write home about – it’s just okay.

We hit a real lull on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th. The swell drops to a tiny 1 ft, even though it switches to a long-period SSW groundswell (14-21 seconds). The energy is weak (145-214), and with that fresh breeze, it’s a total write-off for paddling. You’d be better off doing something else.

Then, from Saturday the 8th, the swell size picks up again, 5 ft to 6 ft from the ENE, but the period is short (7-8 seconds) and the wind is a fresh 22 mph breeze. The combined energy gets into the 500-600 range, but the word is poor. It’s messy, blown-out, and just not worth the fight.

The pattern holds through the second week. The swell gets bigger, hitting 7 ft to 8 ft from the ENE by the 15th and 16th, with energy climbing past 700 and even 900. But the wind is relentless. It’s not until Tuesday the 18th that we see a glimmer of hope. The morning looks glassy – dead calm, wind from the NW at 0 mph. The swell is still a solid 7 ft from the ENE with an 8-second period, and the energy is strong (872). The report says "expect very good surf conditions". That’s a standout, but here’s the catch: at 7 ft and a short period, that’s expert territory. It’s going to be a powerful, churning shorebreak, not for the faint of heart. The afternoon gets a clean offshore wind from the SSW, but the swell drops a touch.

So, if you’re a seasoned charger, the real window is the morning of Tuesday the 18th. That’s over two weeks away, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the best bet we’ve got. For the rest of us, there’s a lot of waiting and watching the wind fill in. It’s a tough stretch.

Rusty.

Read more