LHermitage Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s break down what’s coming. The outlook for L’Hermitage Left is mostly a write-off for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of barely anything worth paddling out for, with just a couple of tiny windows that might give you a wave or two. It’s one of those spells where you’ll be checking the forecast more than your wax.

The wave energy is mostly weak, with combined swell energy numbers staying under 100 for the bulk of the time – that’s the kind of energy that barely moves the water. Starting off on Friday, July 31st, we see a tiny 1ft NE swell, with a short 8-second period, and the combined energy is just 10. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 77°, a nice enough anomaly of about 3° above average for the time of year, so the water feels good but the waves don’t. The wind is glassy, but the surf is poor. That’s the story for the next few days: small, weak pulses from the NE, with nice glassy mornings but nothing to ride.

There’s a real gap here. We roll through the first week of August with combined energy occasionally reaching 30, 64, even 77, but the swell heights are stuck between 1ft and 2ft. The period fluctuates, hitting 10 seconds on a few occasions, but the surf conditions are consistently described as poor. The best we get is a “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” rating, which is a polite way of saying it’s barely worth paddling out. The wind is often glassy or light, but the swell just isn’t there.

The first real flicker of life comes on Monday, August 10th. The afternoon sees a 3ft NE swell with an 11-second period, and the combined energy finally jumps to 153 – that’s moderate energy, the first time we’ve seen a three-digit number. The wind is glassy. It’s still only “surfable but very ordinary,” but it’s the best we’ve seen in a week. Tuesday the 11th morning holds a similar pulse with 2ft NE, 11 seconds, and 97 energy, again glassy, but ordinary.

Then Wednesday, August 12th afternoon brings a slightly bigger pulse: 3ft from the NE, period stretching to 12 seconds, combined energy hitting 195. The wind is clean, cross-off. That’s probably the standout of the whole outlook, but it’s still only a small wave. For a reef break like this, that 12-second period is a bit longer, which means it could have some shape, but it’s not a groundswell by any stretch – we’re talking 12 seconds, not 15-plus. Still, for the advanced surfer, this is the only window where you might get a few fun ones. Expect the water to be clean, and the crowds are listed as “sometimes” here, so you might have it mostly to yourself.

After that, the energy drops off again. The 13th of August shows some moderate energy (108 and 112) but with cross-onshore wind, making conditions messy. Then from the 14th onwards, it’s all zeros – no swell height, no energy, just flat calm.

So, the honest truth is, this is a tough run. The only real standouts are the 10th, 11th, and 12th of August, with the 12th afternoon being the pick of the bunch. For a beginner, anything over 5ft is too much, but that’s not an issue here – it’s all small, so it’s safe. For an expert, it’s barely enough to get excited about. The reef here is inconsistent, and this forecast proves it. There’s a gap of about 10 days of poor to zero surf before we get those few small windows.

If you’re desperate for a paddle, aim for the 12th of August afternoon. Otherwise, the forecasts might change, but as it stands, it’s a quiet period for L’Hermitage Left.

Rusty.

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