Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, folks. Rusty here with a look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us at Lake Ferry. It's a bit of a mixed bag, with a big, angry pulse of swell on the way that’ll be way too much for this spot, followed by a real nice window of clean, manageable waves. The water temp is sitting at 53°, which is about 1° cooler than the long-term average for this time of year, so it's a touch on the chilly side but nothing too far out of the ordinary.

We kick things off on Monday, August 3rd, with a small but tidy start. The morning brings a 4ft SSW swell with a nice 13-second period, and a light NW cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is a solid moderate 533, and the conditions are clean. The afternoon holds onto that quality with a 4ft SSW swell, still 12 seconds, and a clean cross-off breeze. It's not big, but it's a fun way to ease into the week.

Then, Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th? Forget about it. A huge southerly swell piles in, hitting 18ft on Tuesday with a strong onshore wind. The combined energy shoots up to 9,541 – that’s very strong, dangerous stuff. The forecast says the swell is just too big for this break, and I’d be staying well clear. It's a similar story on Wednesday with 13ft and 10ft swells, still onshore. Not a paddle in sight.

Now, Thursday the 6th is where it gets interesting. The swell drops to a much more manageable 6ft from the S, with a 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy in the morning – a light WSW breeze, 5 km/h. The wave energy is a moderate 834. This is your window. Clean, glassy conditions with a solid head-high swell. The afternoon is still clean with a 5ft S swell and a cross-off breeze. This is the best of the first week, no doubt.

Friday the 7th has a bit more size, with 6ft and 6ft swells from the S, but the period is a very long 16 seconds in the morning, dropping to 14 seconds in the afternoon. A long period like that at a sandbar can make it a bit straight and tricky, and the wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-off. The energy is strong (2,106), but the conditions are marginal. It’s for the more experienced crew who know the sandbar.

Saturday the 8th still has some clean 4ft and 4ft swells from the S, but the energy drops right off. It’s surfable, but nothing special.

The following week, from Sunday the 9th onward, the swell dies and the wind turns onshore. It’s a real flat spell. There’s a tiny pulse of 10ft SSW swell on Sunday the 16th, but it’s onshore and too big for the break again. We get a big, messy 12ft SSW swell on Monday the 17th, again too big, but the wind is cross-off. Still, not for the faint of heart.

The real standout for the second week is Tuesday the 18th. The swell settles back to a clean 6ft from the S in the morning, with a 9-second period and a light N cross-off breeze. The energy is a moderate 591. The afternoon holds at 5ft S with a gentle NW cross-off. After a week of flat or blown-out junk, this is a welcome return to good, clean, surfable waves at Lake Ferry. It’s a promising sign, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Stay safe out there, and remember, sometimes the best session is the one you wait for.

Rusty

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