North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty.

First thing you gotta know – the next couple of weeks here at North Beach are a real mixed bag. We’re not talking about a clean, classic run at all. The wind is the main villain for most of the stretch, with a persistent cross-onshore flow that’s gonna mess up the surface. The swell energy is decent, moderate to strong, but it’s the wind that’s the problem.

Let’s look at the best of it. The real standout, and I mean the only time you should really be making plans, is Thursday morning, August 13th. That’s the window. The forecast is showing a glassy, clear morning with a light S wind at 3 mph. That’s the kind of wind that puts a smile on your face. The swell is coming in at 6 ft from the ESE with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 523. The call is for very good surf conditions. That’s your best bet, no question. Get out there early.

The next real glimmer is Thursday morning, August 20th. That’s over a week away. Clear skies, glassy conditions again with a light E wind at 3 mph. The swell is a similar 6 ft from the E, but the period drops to 7 seconds, and the energy is a bit higher at 631. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out. Later that afternoon, the wind shifts and the swell jumps to 8 ft, which is getting big, and the wind goes cross-onshore, so the morning is the only window.

For the rest of the time, it’s a struggle. From Friday the 14th through to the 19th, it’s a frustrating run of cross-onshore winds. The swell is there, but it’s going to be choppy and messy. The period is short, around 8-10 seconds, so it’s just wind-swell energy. If you’re desperate, the morning of Monday the 17th has a bigger pulse of swell at 6 ft and energy over 1000, but the wind is still cross-onshore, making it a marginal call. The 4 ft to 6 ft range is fine for intermediates, but the chop is the killer.

Later in the second week, we get a big pulse of NE swell. The morning of Wednesday the 26th sees a 10 ft swell from the NE with energy hitting 1657. That’s serious power. But the wind is a cross-onshore 16 mph. For a beach break like North Beach, that’s going to be a messy, lumpy mess. That kind of setup is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The same goes for the 27th and 28th, with 8 ft swells and persistent cross-onshore winds.

So, the summary is: one glassy morning on the 13th is the clear winner. The 20th morning is a hopeful long-range prospect. Everything else is a fight against the wind.

Rusty.

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