Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you – this 16-day window for Lake Ferry is a real mixed bag, and honestly, it's a tough one for paddle surfing. The first week is mostly a write-off due to strong, onshore winds and waves that are just too big for this spot. If you're a beginner, you'll want to steer well clear of anything over 5 ft, and for the experts, even the bigger stuff is coming with awful wind.

Let's start with the overall pattern. There's a lot of swell energy, but it's almost always accompanied by poor conditions. The combined swell energy will be moderate to very strong, with values ranging from 230 up to a massive 5259 – that's a lot of power. But the wind is the killer here. The water temperature is sitting at 51°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.

The first real chance we get is on Thursday, August 20th. For the afternoon, it's looking glassy with a light WSW breeze. The swell is 5 ft from the S with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is 631. This is a standout moment. The waves will be clean and lined up, proper groundswell from the south. The break is a sandbar, and it's exposed, so it'll pick up the swell. It's a fairly consistent spot, but crowds are possible here. That south swell direction is matching the optimum S direction perfectly. This is the best on offer.

Friday, August 21st morning brings a 5 ft S swell with a very long 16-second period, combined energy of 1113. The wind is cross-off from the NNW, so it'll be clean. This is a good option for the more experienced surfer, as the long period will mean the waves have plenty of punch and long lines. The 16-second period is a true groundswell, so it's going to be a bit more powerful and have longer lulls between sets, making paddling out a bit easier. However, this is a sandbar, so the long period can make the waves break a bit too straight at times.

After that, things go downhill again. From Saturday, August 22nd through to Tuesday, August 25th, the swell drops off and the wind stays strong and cross-off. The waves are too small and weak to get excited about.

Then, on Wednesday, August 26th, we get a massive swell spike, but it's a problem. The morning shows 12 ft from the SSW, and the afternoon shows 13 ft from the SSW. The combined energy is 1460 and 2719, respectively. The wind is light and onshore, but the forecast is clear: this swell is too big for this break. Same goes for Saturday, August 29th morning with a 10 ft S swell, and Sunday, August 30th morning with a 10 ft SSW swell packing a colossal 3330 combined energy. The wind and tide are favorable, but the size is just too much for Lake Ferry. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a risky call.

So, to sum it up, don't hold your breath for the first week. The standout is the glassy Thursday afternoon session, and the Friday morning is a good second choice if you can handle the long period. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too big for this spot.

Rusty.

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