Joaquina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Joaquina.

Right off the bat, things are a bit messy. We’ve got some decent sized swell around today, with waves hitting about 6 ft from the SSE, but that onshore S wind at 16 mph is chopping it up proper. Combined swell energy is in the moderate range at 609, so there’s power, but it’s not really doing us any favours with that wind. The water’s sitting at 62°F, which is a solid 5°F cooler than normal for this time of year – definitely a bit of a shock to the system, so bring the thick rubber.

Saturday looks similar – still some SSE swell around 4 ft to 6 ft, but that cross-on wind keeps the surface messy, and with a period around 12 seconds, it’s not the cleanest. Combined energy is moderate to strong at 538 to 774 – there’s grunt, but the quality is lacking.

Now, Sunday morning (5th July) – this is where things start to get interesting. The wind drops right off, going glassy with that NW air, and we’ve still got chest to head high SSE swell at 5 ft, period at 11 seconds, and combined energy at a solid 496. It’s clean, it’s got some push, and it’s actually surfable. Not a standout, but if you’re keen, Sunday morning is the pick of the early days.

The week after that is pretty quiet – Monday and Tuesday drop off to knee to waist high stuff, and the wind swings around onshore again, so it’s a bit of a struggle. Combined energy drops into the 100 to 300 range – weak to moderate – and the period drops to 7 seconds on Tuesday, so it’s just not holding shape.

We hit a bit of a dry spell through mid-July, but then things start looking up around the 16th. Thursday the 16th – that’s the one. We’ve got 5 ft SSE swell, period at 12 seconds, and the wind is light offshore from the north at 9 mph, keeping it clean. Combined energy hits 712, which is a solid moderate-to-strong pulse. This is the best on offer – good shape, clean faces, and a decent crowd factor, so expect company, but worth it.

Heading into Saturday the 18th, we’ve got another promising window. Swell drops to 5 ft from the SE, but the period stretches out to 15 seconds – proper groundswell. That long period means better shape, especially at Joaquina being a sandbar setup. Combined energy hits 924 – strong. Again, light offshore wind from the north, clean, and consistent. This is a true standout for the run, just a heads up that long period swells can sometimes run a bit straight on beach breaks, but Joaquina handles it well.

Overall, the first week is a bit of a wash with onshores and small, weak swell, but patience pays off. The 16th and 18th of July are your real windows – solid, clean, and punchy.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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