Nauset Light Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Nauset Light Beach.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half looks pretty grim. We’re staring down the barrel of a long stretch of poor surf conditions. From Monday, July 20th right through to the end of the month, there’s hardly a wave worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, and the wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, and cross-off, with none of it doing us any favours. The combined wave energy is mostly weak, with values like 25, 21, and 34, barely registering a pulse. The water temperature is sitting at 67°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The one tiny glimmer in this first week comes on Wednesday, July 22nd. The swell pushes up to 4ft in the morning from the S with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind is cross-off from the SSW at 22 mph, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy climbs to 160 (moderate). By the afternoon, the swell hits 5ft from the S, period 9 seconds, with a strong cross-off breeze at 25 mph, and the energy jumps to 398 (strong). But even then, the forecast calls it poor surf conditions. It’s a bit of a tease – the waves are there, but the quality just isn’t coming together. For a beginner, that 5ft is probably already too much, and a short 8-to-9-second period means the waves are a bit soft and crumbly, not the nice lined-up stuff we’d hope for.

Thursday, July 23rd, offers a slight improvement. The morning has 4ft from the SSE at 10 seconds, with a clean cross-off NW wind at 12 mph, and the energy is 258 (moderate). The forecast calls it marginal. It’s the best we’ve got in the first week, but that’s not saying much. The break is a sandbar, and it’s only fairly consistent, so it’s not a sure thing. Crowds are possible, so you might have some company.

After that, we drop right back into tiny, poor quality surf right through to the end of July. The combined energy figures are mostly in the single or double digits – 48, 42, 22, 20, 85, 106. It’s flat and frustrating.

Then, we hit a real gap. From Saturday, August 1st, all the way through to Sunday, August 2nd, the swell is next to nothing – 0.3ft to 0.7ft. The energy is a pitiful 2 or 3. It’s a complete write-off.

Now, finally, there’s a bit of hope on the distant horizon. On Monday, August 3rd, the morning brings a 4ft swell from the S at 8 seconds, with a light offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 164 (moderate). The forecast calls it surfable but very ordinary. It’s the standout of the entire outlook, but it’s a long way off, so don’t book the trip yet. That offshore wind will keep the surface clean, which is a big plus. The period is still short at 8 seconds, so expect softer, less powerful waves. Then Tuesday, August 4th, has a 2ft S swell with a clean offshore wind, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: the next week and a half is mostly a bust. The only window that might be worth a look is Wednesday, July 22nd, for the bigger swell, but don’t expect miracles. The real standout, if it holds, is Monday, August 3rd, with that clean offshore and a bit of size. But it’s a long way off, so keep your fingers crossed that the forecasts shift in our favour. For now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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