Joaquina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Joaquina over the next couple of weeks. The short version is we’ve got a quiet start, but there’s a killer session coming up at the end of July that’s got me stoked.

The first week is pretty flat. From Friday the 17th through the early part of the following week, the swell is tiny and weak. The combined energy readings are mostly in the single and double digits, so there’s not much to chase. It’s a real lull, so save your energy.

We get a little pulse on Wednesday the 22nd. Swell is a tiny 2ft from the SSE, period around 8 seconds. The morning is glassy, which is a nice sight, but the energy is still low (combined energy of 51). It’s surfable, but nothing special. Thursday the 23rd afternoon sees a bump to 4ft from the SSE, with the combined energy hitting 344, but it’s still rated as marginal.

Now, things start looking up for the weekend. Saturday the 25th is looking nice. We’ve got a solid 4ft swell from the SE, with the period stretching to 10-13 seconds, bringing some real groundswell punch. The wind is light and variable, going glassy in the afternoon. The combined energy sits at 350-426. This is clean, fun-size surf. Not the biggest, but with those offshore/glassy conditions, it’ll be a sweet session.

But the real standout, the one you need to plan for, is Wednesday the 29th of July. Wednesday afternoon delivers a beautiful 5ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 12 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to a massive 1012, so there’s plenty of power. And the wind? It goes glassy. This is the kind of session that makes you call in sick. The swell is over 5ft, so it’s getting a bit heavy for beginners, but for the experienced surfers, it’s prime time. The swell direction is a good match for the SE optimum, and with the light wind, expect smooth, clean faces.

Keep in mind this spot is a sandbar, and very consistent, so it’s usually got a bank. The downside? It can get crowded and often is, so be ready to share the lineup. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2 wetsuit is probably the call.

There’s a window a couple days later, on Friday the 31st of July, with a bigger 7ft swell from the SE, but it’s predicted to be too big for the break, geared more for experts. The energy is enormous (1705 in the morning), but for your average surfer, that’s a day to watch from the beach.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a gap with no real surf. The standout session is Wednesday afternoon the 29th of July. Saturday the 25th is a solid second option for a cleaner, smaller wave. Get on it if you can.

Rusty.

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