Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Oswald State Park/Short Sands over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough run.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a long stretch of not much happening. The surf is small and messy, with a lot of cross-onshore and cross-shore wind chewing things up. The water is sitting at 52°, which is a whopping 8° colder than it should be for this time of year – that’s a seriously unusual chill, so don’t forget a thick hood and gloves.

For the first week, from Sunday the 12th through to Saturday the 18th, the swell is mostly under 3 ft, coming from the WNW, with periods all over the place but mostly short and weak. The combined energy values are all over 200 (287 to 692), but that’s mostly wind-chop energy, not clean surf. The wind is a constant problem – mostly cross-on or cross, with speeds from 9 mph up to a gusty 19 mph. The only day that shows a little flicker of hope is Thursday the 16th morning – a light WSW wind at 3 mph and a 2 ft W swell with a very long 19-second period. That’s a groundswell, and it’s clean but tiny. The wave comment calls it "marginal," and I’d agree – it’s a long paddle for a waist-high wave that might only show every 10 minutes. Not a standout.

The second week doesn’t offer much relief. From Sunday the 19th through to Monday the 27th, we see a bit more size – 5 ft to 6 ft from the NW – but the period drops to 8 or 9 seconds, which is short-period windswell, and the wind remains a stubborn cross-on or cross at 9 to 16 mph. The combined energy is moderate to strong (335 to 614), but it’s all lumpy, choppy, and blown out. The only brief moment of decent wind is Tuesday the 21st morning, with a light WSW breeze at 6 mph blowing directly onshore, and a 5 ft NW swell at 9 seconds. The wave comment says "marginal" again. The size is in the 5 ft to 8 ft range, so it’s not for beginners, but with onshore wind and short period, it’s going to be a bumpy, shifty mess. Not a standout.

Honestly, there’s no single moment in this 16-day window that I’d call a standout. The best on offer is probably that brief window on Tuesday the 21st morning – a 5 ft NW swell with light onshore wind, giving you a chance to find a peak if you’re an expert looking for a challenge. But it’s not clean, it’s not consistent, and it’s not magic. The rest of the time, the wind and chop are just too much. This stretch is more interesting for kitesurfing than paddle surfing – the cross-shore wind and moderate swell energy are better suited for a kite than a longboard.

Keep the faith, though. Forecasts change, and it doesn’t tend to stay this poor for long.

Rusty

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