Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on offer at Lake Ferry.

Right now, we’ve got a bit of a dry spell to start. The first surfable waves show up on Monday morning, August 10th, but they’re nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a weak 2ft south swell with a short 10-second period. The combined energy is weak at 115. The water is sitting at 51°, which is a notable 3° colder than usual for this time of year, so that wetsuit better be thick. The morning has glassy conditions with a light west wind, so it’s clean but very ordinary. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it goes to junk.

Tuesday the 11th sees a bump in size, with a 6ft south swell on the morning, but it’s a short 8-second period and the wind is cross-onshore. Combined energy jumps to moderate at 465, but the quality is marginal. The afternoon drops to 4ft but the wind stays cross-onshore. Not a good look.

Wednesday the 12th through Friday the 14th are tiny. We’re talking 0.7ft to 2ft swells with very weak energy (38 to 73). The winds are light and mostly offshore or clean, but there’s simply no power to surf. A few long-period 15-16 second groundswells pop up on the 13th and 14th, but at only 0.7ft, they’re just not pushing. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are a write-off with onshore gales and rain.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 17th of August throws a big 12ft swell at us with a short 9-second period and strong onshore winds. Combined energy is a powerful 1826, but with that wind, it’s a mess. That trend continues into Tuesday the 18th with 6ft to 8ft swells and cross-onshore winds. It’s all marginal.

The true standout arrives on Thursday the 20th of August. We get a clean 6ft south swell with a solid 12-second period in the morning, combined energy of 1029. The wind is light offshore from the north. Then in the afternoon, it goes glassy with a 7ft south swell. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. Friday the 21st is even better: a 8ft south swell with a very long 16-second period and glassy conditions in the morning. The combined energy is huge at 2909. This is groundswell at its finest, and for a sandbar break like Lake Ferry that’s exposed to the south, this will line up nicely. Just be aware, at over 8ft, this is expert territory. The crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’, so you might have company.

Saturday the 22nd still has a nice 5ft south swell with a 12-second period and glassy morning conditions, but it’s a step down. After that, it fades back into smaller, weaker surf through to Monday the 24th. Tuesday the 25th brings another big 10ft+ pulse, but the wind is onshore and the swell period is short, so it’s too big and messy for this break.

So, to sum it up: you’ve got a quiet first week, but hang tight. The real action is Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st of August. That’s your window for clean, powerful groundswell.

Rusty.

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