Nahr Brahim Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day window for the region, and honestly, it’s a bit of a desert out there. There’s a big gap right at the start with no real surf on offer, and the entire period is a struggle. For the first few days, it’s just not worth paddling out.

Nahr Brahim (river) – this is the only game in town, and it “rarely breaks”. For a spot that’s already inconsistent, the news isn’t great. The water is sitting at 84°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year (a 3°F anomaly).

From Saturday 18 July right through to the end of the month, it’s a grim run. The swell is tiny, mostly around 0.7 ft to 2 ft, coming from the W or WSW. The period is short, between 4 and 8 seconds, so there’s no push or shape. The winds are mostly cross-on from the SW or WSW, often 6 to 16 mph, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy of all swells is weak, reading between 5 and 41 for most days – that’s just not enough to do anything with. The forecast says “poor surf conditions” for every single window, and I can’t argue with that.

There is a slight bump on Saturday 25 July. The swell lifts to 4 ft in the morning and 4 ft in the afternoon from the W, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 203 (moderate) in the morning and 146 in the afternoon. But the wind is still cross-on in the morning from the SW at 9 mph, making it fairly choppy. The afternoon goes to an onshore WSW breeze. It’s still labelled “poor surf conditions.” For a river break, this is a short-period windswell, and with the onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, bumpy closeout. Not a standout.

The best of a bad bunch might be the last week of the month. From Monday 27 July to Thursday 30 July, we see a few windows with a cleaner feel. The wind drops to light breezes (3-6 mph), and on the 27th, the swell is 2 ft from the W with an 8-second period, giving a combined energy of 58. The wind is onshore, but light. It’s still not good, but it’s the least bad. On Thursday 30 July, the swell is tiny again.

To be honest, 25 July is the only day with any real size, but the quality is poor. For a river break that rarely breaks, the setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, especially on the bigger, windier days.

So, here’s the bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The region is in a flat spell. The good news is that the break is fairly exposed to the W and WSW, so if a proper swell comes through with a clearer wind, it could turn on. But for now, leave the board at home. Forecasts can change, but this one is a long shot.

Rusty.

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