Long Strand-Castlefreke Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up, crew. Rusty here, and I’m looking at a pretty grim picture for Long Strand-Castlefreke over the next couple of weeks.

Let’s be real – for the first ten days, we’ve got a flat spell that’s about as exciting as watching paint dry. The water is sitting at a warm 65°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only bit of good news. From Thursday the 23rd of July right through the end of the month, the swell is tiny – mostly 0.3ft to 0.7ft. The wind is all over the place, mostly cross-on or onshore, and the combined energy is just sad, with values like 22, 17, and 4. It’s a total write-off for paddle surfing. You’d be better off just kicking back on the beach.

There’s a big gap with nothing to recommend, but then we get a little flicker on the 1st of August. Saturday morning brings a moderate 2ft from the SW with a short period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 111. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. Still, it’s the first bit of energy we’ve seen. The afternoon stays similar with 3ft from the S. This is expert-level stuff at best, but the quality is poor – it’s going to be a chop-fest.

Then, Sunday the 2nd of August morning is a bit of a tease. We get 2ft from the W with a short period of 3 seconds, but the wind goes glassy. It’ll be clean as a mirror, but there’s almost no energy (14). It’s a glassy ankle-snapper.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is Monday the 3rd of August morning. We get 4ft from the WSW with a very short period of 4 seconds. The wind is offshore from the NE, so it will be clean. The combined energy is 48, so it’s weak, but it’s the most size we see all outlook. Still, with that short period, the waves will be soft and weak. This is a spot for beginners or longboarders on a quiet day – crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might have it to yourself.

After that, it fades back to tiny 0.7ft and 2ft from the WSW all the way through to the 7th of August. The wind turns cross-off a few times, which keeps it clean, but there’s just no power. The last day on the 7th of August morning has 2ft from the SW, clean with a light offshore, but again, it’s weak.

So, the bottom line: There’s no real "best on offer" here. The only day that might be worth a look is the 3rd of August morning for a clean, small, beginner-friendly paddle. The rest of the month is a flat, choppy, or windy mess. For the more experienced surfers, the 1st of August has the most energy, but it’s messy and lumpy – more of a kite-surfing setup than a surf session.

Rusty.

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