Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a flat spell right now and the ocean is feeling pretty moody. The water’s sitting at 55°F which is a solid 4°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. The surf is going to be a real struggle for the first few days, with only small, weak waves and cross-offshore winds messing things up. Looks like we’re in for a long wait.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Sunday the 25th. That Saturday morning the 25th, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SW, but the period is a massive 23 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. It’s light onshore wind, but the wave energy is moderate (359). The afternoon picks up a bit to 2ft and the period drops to 21 seconds, with the energy jumping to 606 (moderate). Still, with light onshore breeze, it’s going to be pretty gutless. By Sunday the 26th, we’ve got 3ft from the SW, period around 19-20 seconds, and light cross-shore wind. The energy is moderate (532). It’s marginal, but this is probably the best we’re going to see. The following Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th mornings offer similar small, long-period SW groundswell with light cross-onshore winds, but the quantity just isn’t there.

Honestly, the standout window is the afternoon of the 26th and the morning of the 27th. The swell is small, around 3ft from the SW, but that long period (18-19 seconds) means it will have some shape at Oswald State Park/Short Sands. The wind is light and offshore or cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. The crowd factor is “sometimes” so you might score a few waves to yourself. But be warned, this spot is only “fairly consistent” so don’t go in expecting a constant barrage. The combined energy is moderate (532 and 521), so there’s a bit of push behind those lines.

After that, things get messy again. The wind picks up strongly from the NNW and N, turning it into a choppy, cross-shore mess right through the end of July and into the first week of August. The swell does bump up to 4ft to 4ft, but with fresh winds at 19 mph, the surf will be lumpy and hard to enjoy. For a beginner, anything over 5ft is a bit much, and with the wind howling, it’s more of a kite-surfing zone than a paddle-surfing one.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off, then we get a brief, promising window around the 26th and 27th with clean, long-period SW groundswell, but it’s small. After that, it’s back to windy, choppy conditions. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, things can change, but for now, don’t get your hopes up too high.

Rusty.

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