Nauset Light Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Nauset Light Beach over the next 16 days is a bit of a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of really small, weak surf with onshore winds messing things up. The only real glimmer of hope is a run of cleaner, glassy windows in the second week, but the swell is still tiny. Let's break it down.

We're starting off with a real flat spell. From Friday the 24th all the way through to Wednesday the 30th of July, the surf is pretty much a no-go. The swell is tiny, barely reaching 3ft, and the period is short, so it's all weak, choppy windswell. The wind is mostly on or cross-onshore, making a mess of what little wave there is. It's a classic summer flat spell for the Cape.

Things finally get a bit interesting on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning shows a little pulse of swell from the SE with a period of 11 seconds, and combined energy reading 142 (moderate). The real kicker is the wind: it's glassy, dead calm. That means conditions will be clean. The swell size is only 2ft, so it's ankle to knee-high, but for a patient soul on a longboard, it might be worth a paddle. The water temp is a pleasant 66°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to worry about.

The rest of the first week stays in the same small, onshore groove. Friday the 31st sees a bit more energy (123) but it's cross-onshore and lumpy, so no good. Saturday the 1st of August has a glassy morning again, but with a tiny 2ft swell of 8 seconds, it's barely there.

Then we get to the best of what's on offer. Sunday the 2nd of August morning has a clean, cross-offshore wind with a 2ft, 11-second SE swell. The combined energy is 118 (moderate). The wind is a stiff 19 mph, but it's clean off the land, so the waves should be lined up. This is the standout session for the whole 16-day window. The swell is knee-high, but with that period and clean wind, rideable and fun. The afternoon continues with a similar 3ft swell and 162 energy, but again, it's a clean cross-offshore breeze.

The following week, from the 3rd of August onward, is a real mixed bag. Monday the 3rd has clean, cross-offshore winds but the swell drops to 2ft. Tuesday the 4th has a glassy morning, but only 2ft of swell. Wednesday and Thursday the 5th and 6th are tiny. The best of the late period is Thursday the 6th afternoon, which is clean with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3ft. The glassy mornings on the 4th and 8th of August are teasing, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

So, the honest truth? The only day that really looks worth the effort is the morning of Sunday, the 2nd of August. A clean, offshore wind and a little pulse of groundswell means you might find a few clean, rideable runners on a longboard. Bring your patience, but it's the best we've got.

Rusty.

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