Jalama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First up, I gotta be honest with you – the next few days are a bit of a struggle. There’s swell, but it’s tangled up with iffy winds and the water is feeling properly cold. The water temperature is sitting at 57°F which is a solid 4°F colder than it should be for this time of year. That’s a real kick in the teeth, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit and some booties if you’re heading out.

The first window of anything worthwhile is shaping up around Tuesday afternoon, the 14th of July. It’s not a classic, but we’ll take it. The swell is a short-period 5ft from the NW, and the wind swings clean with a cross-offshore breeze from the NNW at 15 mph. The combined energy is moderate (557), and the waves should be clean. It’s only for the experienced crew though – that 5ft mark is pushing it for beginners.

The real standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is Thursday the 16th of July. By the afternoon, we’re looking at a solid 10ft swell from the NW, with a 9-second period, and the wind is clean cross-offshore from the NNW at 15 mph. The combined energy is strong (1570), and the forecast says wind and tide are favorable. This is a big day – but it’s only for the experts. If you’re not comfortable in overhead-plus, heavy lines, give this one a miss. The crowds will be there, it’s a spot that’s exposed and very consistent, so expect company.

After that, Friday the 17th sees the swell drop back to 7ft in the morning, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s a bit messy. Not the best.

There’s a bit of a lull through the weekend of the 18th and 19th, with small long-period groundswell coming in from the WNW and SW. The swell is tiny – around 3ft to 3ft – but with a very long period of 16 to 17 seconds, it’ll have some push. The wind is mostly cross or light onshore, so it’s not terrible, but it’s not firing. The combined energy is still moderate to strong (around 984 to 1087), but for the size, it’s a lot of water moving slowly.

Looking further out, the 25th of July is a promising but less certain call. The combined energy jumps to 1323 from a 21-second SW groundswell, but the wind is cross-shore from the NW. The afternoon of the 26th is another one to watch: a 8ft NW swell with a clean cross-offshore wind, and the energy is strong (1403). That’s a long way off though, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Bottom line: the best of the bunch is Thursday the 16th of July afternoon. That’s the one for the big-wave chargers. For everyone else, wait for a cleaner window.

Rusty.

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