Nimitz Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet for our shores. We’ve got one spot on the radar, but it’s a real mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

We’re starting off with Nimitz Beach, a reef setup that’s exposed to the south. The water’s sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The first few days, from Thursday the 23rd through to Sunday the 26th, we’ve got a long-period swell rolling in from the SSW, but it’s small – only 2ft to 3ft. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore breeze, which keeps the surface clean, but let’s be honest, the energy is just not there. The combined swell energy is reading between 800 and 1039, which is moderate, but the waves are too weak and inconsistent to get excited about. It’s marginal at best.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see the swell shift around to the east, but the size stays tiny, around 2ft to 4ft. The wind stays cross-off, and the period drops, making for weak, short-period waves. Not worth rushing out for.

Now, here’s a little glimmer. Wednesday morning the 29th, we get a gentle offshore wind from the NNE, which is a major positive. The swell is still small at 3ft from the south, but with that offshore flow, it’ll be clean and glassy. The energy is low though (280), so it’s more of a longboard or funboard session. By Wednesday afternoon, things get a bit weird – a southerly wind picks up and a 6ft east swell pops up, but the period is only 10 seconds and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s a messy setup.

The rest of the first week and into the second week (July 30th to August 7th) is a real struggle. The swell stays small, mostly under 3ft, with a lot of cross-off and cross-shore winds. There’s a burst of stronger wind on July 31st, with a 6ft east swell, but the period is a pathetic 7 seconds and the wind is howling at 25 mph. That’s pure chop, not surf. The combined energy (745) is moderate, but it’s all wind-swell, so it’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle day.

The best bet in the entire 16-day window is probably the morning of Tuesday August 4th. We’ve got a 3ft east swell with a 14-second period, and a gentle cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is 581, which is moderate, and the conditions are described as having a slight cross-chop, but it’s the most consistent looking window. Still, it’s nothing to write home about. For the rest of the second week, from August 5th to 7th, it’s tiny, glassy, and ordinary – 1ft to 2ft swells. Calm and glassy conditions on the 6th look pretty, but there’s no power.

The Standout: Honestly, there’s no true standout here. If you’re desperate, the Wednesday morning (29th July) with the offshore wind and clean 3ft south swell is your best bet. The Tuesday morning (4th August) is the most consistent looking option in the second week, but it’s still small. This is a period for fixing dings and cleaning your wax, not scoring waves.

Rusty.

Read more