Nimitz Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it – this stretch is a tough one for Nimitz Beach. We're looking at a whole lot of near-windswell and some pretty strong trade winds muscling in. We've got a two-week window here, but honestly, there's not a single day that jumps out as a proper standout. The best you can hope for is a couple of fleeting moments where it all comes together, but you'll have to scratch for 'em.

The first real chance to get wet isn't until the morning of Tuesday, August 19th. We've got a light 2 ft of swell pushing in from the southwest with a long 16-second period. The wind is a light easterly, making for a clean, cross-off look. The combined energy is moderate (284). It's not going to be epic, but it's the most user-friendly the surf will be all week. That southwest direction is what this reef likes. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

If you miss that, keep an eye on the afternoon of Thursday, August 20th. The swell is still a modest 2 ft from the southwest, but the period stretches out to 17 seconds, giving it some real groundswell grunt. The wind goes glassy, which is a huge positive; the combined energy is moderate (399). It'll be clean and lined up, but with that longer period, the sets could be a little inconsistent at this beach break/reef combo. It's not a total write-off.

After that, the wind kicks in hard. From Friday the 22nd through the end of the month, we're looking at strong to fresh cross-off trades from the east-northeast cranking at 18 to 28 mph. The surf bumps up to over 5 ft and even hits 7 ft around the 24th and 25th, but it's all short-period, wind-driven stuff from the east (7–8 seconds). The combined energy climbs into the moderate range (554–796), but with those winds, it's a messy, churning ocean. Honestly, for a stretch like that, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The first week of September brings a similar story. The winds ease slightly, but the swell drops back down to a paltry 2 ft from the south-southeast with a short period, and the wave energy is weak (78–137). The outlook is still poor. It's a long, dry spell for any decent waves.

So, to sum it up: the best of a bad bunch is the window from Tuesday morning, August 19th, through Thursday afternoon, August 20th. Even then, it's only for the dedicated few willing to hunt for clean, small waves. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off, dominated by strong trades and messy conditions. That's the reality of it for this spot. This kind of blank run can happen here, so don't lose hope – forecasts can always shift.

Rusty.

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