Nimitz Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what we've got lined up for Nimitz Beach over the next couple of weeks. It's a quiet stretch overall, with only a few moments that might get you interested.

We start off on Friday, July 3rd with some small, long-period groundswell. Expect waves around 2ft from the SSW, but with a very long 17-second period. That long period means the energy is there (combined energy of 367), but a reef break like this should shape it up nicely, provided the tide is on your side – it's looking marginal. The water’s warm at 80°F, which is a touch above average for the time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit. The cross-off wind from the ENE at 12 mph should keep the surface clean, but the size is tiny and the conditions are described as questionable tide-wise. Honestly, it's a "check it if you're desperate" kind of morning. The afternoon looks poorer with the wind picking up to 19 mph.

Saturday the 4th through Sunday the 5th is more of the same story. Still small, still in that 2ft to 3ft range from the S and SSW. The period is still very long (17-21 seconds), so the wave shape could be decent, but the energy is moderate (721 on Saturday morning, 727 on Sunday morning). Clean conditions with cross-off winds, but the overall forecast is marginal at best. The swell is just too small to get excited about.

Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th aren't worth a mention. The swell drops a little, the wind is a stiff 22 mph, and the scores are a flat zero. Poor surf conditions all the way. You'd be better off doing something else.

There's a blip on Wednesday the 8th morning. We see a jump to 5ft, which is a bit more size, but the direction swings to the east and the period crashes to a short 7 seconds. That's windswell territory – lumpy and weak, despite the moderate energy number (535). The cross-off wind keeps it clean, but it won't be pretty. The afternoon drops back to nothing.

From Thursday the 9th through to Saturday the 11th, it's back to the doldrums. Small surf (1ft to 2ft), generally poor conditions, and scores of zero or one. A long gap of nothing worthwhile.

Now, here’s the standout for the whole outlook, and it's a week and a half away. On Sunday, July 12th, the morning session is the best on offer. We've got a clean 3ft of swell from the SSW with a solid 16-second period. The wind is light from the ENE at just 6 mph, which is as close to glassy as we'll see. The combined energy is moderate (436) and for once, the conditions are described as "expect good surf conditions." It's not big, and the water temp should still be fine, but for clean, fun little waves on a reef with a long period, this is your window. The afternoon gets a bit breezier, so get out early.

Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th keep the size at 3ft with a good period (14-16 seconds), but the wind goes light cross-shore, so a bit of texture on the face. Still, moderate energy (541 to 707) and a score of 2 out of 10 means it's ridable, but not as good as that Sunday morning. The swell direction shifts to the west on the 14th, matching the optimum direction for the spot.

From July 15th onward, it churns. Wednesday the 15th is still 3ft with a good period but cloudy and a light cross-shore breeze that'll put some chops on it. Then on Thursday the 16th, we see another spike in size to 6ft, but it's that short-period east windswell (7 seconds) again. The energy is moderate to strong (889), but with 6ft and such a short period, it's going to be a messy, bumpy peak that's really only for the experts, if anyone. The wind is cross-shore, so expect some chop. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Friday the 17th drops to 4-5ft, still short period, still not great. The last few days into July 18th see the size drop back to 2-3ft with a return to long-period S swell, but the wind is a moderate 16 mph and the conditions are described as poor on the 18th afternoon.

So, to sum it up: it's a lean run, but don't let that get you down. Make a plan for the morning of Sunday, July 12th – that's the cleanest, most promising window we have. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too short-period to really get the heart pumping.

Rusty.

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