Kata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of onshore flow and messy conditions that’s going to have the surf looking more like a washing machine than anything rideable. If you’re a beginner, this is a great time to work on your duck dive or just stay on the beach. The wind stays up most of the time, and the swell window is pretty much shut for the first few days.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, there is one small window of potential that stands out, but it's for the experienced crew only, and even then, it's not going to be epic. The lack of any real swell for the first five days is a bummer, with nothing but cross-onshore winds and chop. From the 16th onward, we see a little pulse of long-period energy start to fill in, but it’s tiny. The standout, if you can call it that, will be around the 19th and 20th. We’re looking at some long-period groundswell, but it’s maxing out at a mere 1 ft. The energy is there in the water, with combined swell energy values around 84 and 64, but the size just isn't there. This is more of a longboard or foil day, and with that long period, it will be fat and soft.

Kata Beach is the only spot in the mix, and it's exposed to the SW. The water temp is sitting at 86°F, which is about normal for this time of year. The main issue is the wind. For the first five days, we have fresh cross-onshore breezes, and even some stormy conditions with rain and thunderstorms. It's just not worth the effort.

From the 16th, the swell starts to show up, but it's weak. The morning of the 16th has a small pulse from the WSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is still fresh and cross-onshore, making it lumpy. The 17th and 18th continue this theme, with similar tiny swells and the wind staying messy.

Things get a little more interesting on the 19th. The morning shows a bit more size with 1 ft from the WSW with a 20-second period and 84 units of combined energy. The wind is still cross-onshore at 16 mph, but it’s a moderate breeze, not as gnarly. This is probably your best bet for the whole period. It's not going to be clean, but it'll be the least junky. The afternoon sees a bit more wind, but the 20th holds similar small, long-period waves. The first part of next week (21st and 22nd) starts to fade, and by the 23rd and 24th, it looks like it's almost flat again with the wind howling.

Then, at the very end of the window, on the 26th, there's another tiny pulse of 1 ft swell from the WSW with a 17-18 second period. But again, the wind is up at 19 mph and onshore.

Honestly, for anyone who doesn't have a kite, this is a washout. The swell is too small and the wind is too strong and onshore. It's more of a kiteboarding window than a surfing one. If you are a seasoned surfer with a big board and low expectations, the morning of the 19th might give you a few soft, crumbly shoulders. But don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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