Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for Irmas/Leftpoint. I’ve got to call it how I see it, and there’s nothing in the cards that’s going to get the heart rate up. We’re stuck with a persistent easterly wind that’s going to keep the surface messy and ugly.

The water temperature is sitting at 80°F with an anomaly of just 0.9°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year—nothing unusual there.

Right now, on Saturday, August 1st, we’ve got a 12 ft easterly swell, but it’s coming with a 28 mph cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is high at 1657, but the wind is just destroying it. It’s a mess. That theme continues through Sunday and Monday—big numbers on the energy scale (1157 on Sunday, 598 on Monday), but the wind is never clean. It’s cross or cross-onshore, medium to strong, all from the ENE. The short period of 8 seconds means the waves are weak and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.

By Tuesday, August 4th, the swell drops to 6 ft from the east, but the period stretches to 11 seconds. That’s a bit more groundswell character, but the wind is still a moderate cross-shore. The energy is moderate at 731, and the rating is a lowly 1/10. It’s marginal at best, and the tide could be a factor. This is the closest we get to a “maybe” all week, but it’s not good.

From Wednesday, August 5th, through to the end of the second week, it’s a long, bleak stretch. The swell drops to 4 ft and below, with periods all over the place—short 6s, then a weird 14s from the SSW on the 6th, then a 16s from the SSW on the 10th. That long-period stuff might sound good, but the wind is still cross or cross-onshore, and the energy is low to moderate (316 to 662). The wave state is always described as “poor” or “lumpy.” There is nothing here that’s going to produce a clean wave.

The second week sees a couple of spikes in energy, like on the 12th of August, when a 4 ft south swell at 17 seconds pushes the energy to 1089, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore. It’s still messy. On the 15th, we get another 8 ft+ easterly swell with 28 mph cross-onshore wind—again, just a blown-out mess.

The absolute standout? There isn’t one. There is no clean window. The only break on offer is Irmas/Leftpoint, and it’s a reef break that needs clean conditions to work. The prevailing wind is from the ENE, and it’s a cross or cross-onshore the entire 16 days. The swell direction is from the east, which is fine for the break’s optimum ESE direction, but the wind is the killer.

Honestly, with this much wind and the beach setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Don’t bother with the surfboard. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long 16-day blank run.

Rusty.

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