Jacks Hole Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let me level with you – this stretch we're looking at is flat. I mean, really flat. We've got a 16-day window here at Jacks Hole, but there's absolutely nothing on the cards that's worth paddling out for. The forecast's pushing out a long run of weak, mostly tiny waves that just aren't gonna give you anything to work with. It's a tough one.

We'll kick off on Thursday the 6th of August, but don't get your hopes up. The morning's got a whisper of a swell at a pathetic 0.3 ft from the south, with a period of 6 seconds – that's barely a ripple – and the combined swell energy's sitting at a weak 1. It's clear and the wind's light offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, keeping things clean, but there's just no wave to ride. That afternoon, the swell's still 0.3 ft from the south, but the period jumps to 12 seconds – still, it's junk. Wind shifts cross-shore from the SSE at 9 mph, a bit of chop on it, and the energy's only at a 5. This pattern just repeats.

Come Friday the 7th, same story. 0.3 ft swell, south direction, varying periods – 12 seconds in the morning and again in the afternoon. The morning's looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph, but the combined energy's a measly 3. Afternoon gets a fresh 16 mph cross-shore wind from the south, bumping the energy to a 4 but making it ugly. It's all poor surf conditions across the board, every session rated a zero for a reason.

Saturday the 8th offers a tiny bump in the afternoon – 2 ft swell from the south, but the period crashes to just 4 seconds, so it's weak and messy. Combined energy climbs to a moderate 14, but the wind's a fresh 19 mph from the south, cross-shore, creating lumpy cross-chop. Morning's still clean with a 0.3 ft swell and 13-second period, but the energy's only a 3. Not worth it.

Sunday the 9th morning is about as good as it gets – and that's saying something. The swell's a minuscule 0.3 ft from the south with a 12-second period, energy at a 4, but the wind drops to glassy – 3 mph from the south, dead calm. It's glassy, but there's nothing to surf. The afternoon picks up a slight cross-onshore ripple.

From Monday the 10th right through to Wednesday the 19th of August, it's a dead zone. Swell heights are stuck between 0.3 ft and 2 ft, with poor periods – often 3 to 11 seconds – and combined energy rarely cracking double digits. The biggest energy we see is a 24 on the afternoon of Monday the 17th, driven by a 2 ft swell from the NNE at 4 seconds, but the wind's a cross-onshore mess. It's all "poor surf conditions" – the data doesn't lie.

There is a little flicker near the end. Thursday the 20th of August morning brings a 0.3 ft south swell, 15-second period – long-period groundswell – but only 4 of combined energy. The wind's offshore from the WSW at 16 mph, keeping it clean. It's the same that afternoon: 0.3 ft from the south, 15 seconds, 4 energy, with a fresh offshore from the west at 19 mph. Still, 0.3 ft is barely a ripple. Friday the 21st morning repeats it: 0.3 ft, south, 14 seconds, 4 energy, clean with a moderate offshore from the west at 12 mph.

So, bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. Not a single standout. The break itself – Jacks Hole – is a reef setup that's fairly consistent, but it's completely starved of swell. The odd long-period groundswell energy is there, but with heights this tiny, it's flat. If you're desperate, the glassy mornings on the 9th or the offshore clean conditions on the 20th and 21st look nice, but you'd be sitting on a still ocean. Honestly, for this stretch, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing if that's your thing. Hang in there – forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this flat forever.

Rusty.

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