Newport-South Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's be straight: it’s a tough run ahead at Newport-South Beach (United States). The forecast is a long stretch of basically unrideable slop. We’ve got a blank run starting now and lasting until Wednesday morning, July 15th, with barely a glimmer of hope before then.

First off, the water is absolutely freezing. We’re talking 50°, which is a massive 9° colder than normal for July – that’s a very unusual chill. You’ll need a thick suit, no doubt.

The pattern all week is cross-shore and cross-onshore winds out of the NNW and NW, keeping things messy. Swell heights bob around 2 ft to 4 ft but with short, weak periods (6 to 9 seconds), so the combined energy is moderate at best – around 364 to 335. It’s choppy, crumbly, and just not offering much. The beach is exposed to the west, but the swell is coming from the wrong angles, so it’s mostly a dud.

Wednesday morning, July 15th, finally shows a flicker. We get 4 ft from the NW at 10 seconds with combined energy of 594. But it’s still cross-onshore, and the surf is only rated as marginal. Honestly, still not worth a paddle.

The best of the whole 16-day window is Thursday morning, July 16th. We see a bump to 6 ft from the NW at 8 seconds. Combined energy climbs to a moderate 708. The wind swings to a light 6 mph SW, which is cross-onshore but light enough to just produce small wind ripples. For a few hours, it’ll be the cleanest it gets, but that short period means it’ll be fat and quick to close out on this beach. Still, it’s the standout.

The end of the second week, around Wednesday, July 22nd morning and afternoon, sees the biggest swell of the period – 7 ft from the NW at 9 to 10 seconds. Combined energy hits a strong 1102. But it’s still cross-onshore. That size, with those winds and a beach break setup, honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Not a beginner wave at that size (over 5 ft), and for experts it’s just too messy to be good.

Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, but with surf this poor, I doubt you’ll see many takers. The break itself is fairly consistent, but the conditions just aren’t lining up.

Bottom line: the only session that even comes close to a green light is Thursday morning, July 16th. Everything else is a fight against chop and crud. It tends not to stay this poor forever, but this run is a real tester.

Rusty.

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