Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a hard look at what's on offer at Oswald State Park/Short Sands over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough run. We're looking at a long stretch of onshore and cross-shore winds that are just gonna tear things up for the majority of the 16-day window. You’re going to see a lot of "poor surf conditions" in the notes, and that’s the reality. The water is sitting at 57°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don't forget the thick rubber.

We kick off on Friday the 3rd with a weak 4ft swell from the WNW at a short 8 seconds, but a 9 mph cross-on NW wind makes it choppy and uninviting. That same story basically repeats for the rest of the weekend, through Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th. The swell holds around the 3ft to 5ft mark, but the wind just won't let up, getting up to 19 mph on Sunday afternoon.

Monday the 6th sees the swell bump up to 5ft from the WNW with a period lengthening to 11 seconds, which would normally be interesting. But again, that moderate cross-onshore wind spoils the party. It stays lumpy. Tuesday the 7th drops off into tiny surf.

There's a glimmer of something on Wednesday the 8th and the days after, but it's from the SW with a very long period – 18 to 19 seconds. The problem is, the swell heights are tiny, just 2ft to 2ft. The sets will be so far apart and small, it'll feel like a lake paddle with the occasional bump.

We go through a dry spell with nothing really rideable until we get to Sunday the 12th. That morning offers a 4ft WNW swell with a period of 9 seconds, and finally, a light offshore wind from the WNW. It’s clean, but it’s not going to be epic.

The real standout, and the only one I’d consider marking on the calendar, is Wednesday the 15th. We get a long-period groundswell rolling in. The morning has a tiny 2ft swell from the west with a period of 21 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The wind swings onshore later, but for the morning, it's almost glassy with a 3 mph westerly. It won't be big, but the potential for a clean, lined-up wave on the better tides is there. It’s a promise, not a guarantee, this far out. The afternoon then builds to a 4ft WNW swell with an 11-second period and a light cross-onshore, which could offer some fun corners if the wind stays light.

After that, Thursday the 16th through Saturday the 18th sees the swell drop back down to 3ft to 3ft, but with a cross-shore wind, it’ll be choppy and hard to enjoy.

Bottom line: If you're a beginner, the bigger days around the 6th are pushing into the 5ft range, so be cautious. The best bet for a clean, if small, wave is that Sunday the 12th morning, or the long-shot magic window on Wednesday the 15th morning. It’s a lean period, but that's the hand we've been dealt.

Stay tuned, forecasts can shift. Keep the faith.

Rusty.

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