North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for North Beach. Let’s get into it.

The first thing to say is that the water temperature is sitting around 72°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The week ahead is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a small window of clean surf, but then a big pulse of swell comes through that’s going to be a game-changer for the experienced crew only.

The best bet for most of you is going to be Monday morning, August 3rd. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the SE with a period of 11 seconds, packing a moderate energy of 1075. But the real story is the wind: it’s dead calm, glassy. That’s rare and it’s going to make the surface smooth as silk. The only catch is that 7 ft is pushing into the “too big for beginners” zone, so this one is for the intermediate crew and above. The break is a beach/pier setup, which usually handles a SE swell well, but keep in mind that longer period swell like this can sometimes make the waves break a bit too fast and hollow on a beach break. It’s a fair call that it’s excellent for experienced surfers.

Before that, Saturday and Sunday (August 1st and 2nd) are a no-go. The swell is there, but cross-off winds and raw energy readings of 738 and 2020 are just not cooperating. Sunday’s got 10 ft SE swell at 12 seconds, but it’s simply too big and messy for this spot.

After Monday, the quality drops off fast. Tuesday through the rest of the week sees the swell drop and the wind swings onshore, making for choppy, poor conditions. There’s a gap of several days here with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, looking further ahead, there’s a massive swell train on the horizon. Sunday afternoon, August 9th, a 12 ft SSW swell with a period of 10 seconds and a massive energy reading of 2833 is forecast. But the wind is howling at 25 mph, so it’s clean but way too big and blown out for this spot. The same goes for Monday, August 10th, with a 13 ft S swell at 12 seconds and an energy reading of 5281. That’s huge, dangerous energy, only for absolute experts if they’re prepared for a beating. The forecasts for these days are less certain, but the numbers are clear.

The pattern then goes quiet again, with a few small, weak swells and poor winds through to the end of the 16-day window. There’s a brief, marginal spike of 12 ft SSW swell on Thursday, August 13th, but again, it’s too big and the wind is a problem.

So, to sum it up: the standout is Monday morning, August 3rd, for the glassy conditions. If you’re an expert, keep an eye on the 9th and 10th of August, but be ready for a serious session. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game.

Stay stoked, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty

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