Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s coming our way for Oswald State Park/Short Sands over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this isn’t a classic run. The forecast is a real mixed bag with a lot of wind and chop to work through, so we’re picking our moments carefully.

The water temperature is running at 53°, which is a whopping 7° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a very unusual chill, so a good 5/4 wetsuit, boots, and gloves are pretty much non-negotiable. You’ll feel that bite.

We’re looking at a rough start. The first surf worth considering doesn’t really show up until Thursday the 16th of July, and even then, it’s only a marginal call. The morning brings a 5ft swell from the WNW with a short 8-second period, creating moderate wave energy (607). The wind is a light cross-onshore, which is a bit messy. The afternoon is similar at 5ft, with a slight improvement to a cross-shore wind, but it’s still a “gentle cross-shore with slight cross-chop.” It’s not terrible, but it’s not a standout.

Friday the 17th of July is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 3ft, but the period jumps to 17 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is solid (682), but with a light cross-onshore wind, it’s clean but small. The long period means it’ll break straight and wall up on the beach, so it’s better suited for the points or reefs if they were in the picture, but at Short Sands it might be a bit tricky to find a good peak. Still, for a light wind day, it’s worth a look.

Saturday the 18th of July is probably the best of a tricky bunch. The morning session has 4ft from the WNW at 10 seconds, with moderate cross-shore wind. The energy is up there (735), and while it’s not glassy, the cross-shore wind keeps the surface lumpy but ridable. The afternoon picks up a bit of speed from the wind, making it less appealing.

For the rest of the run, we’ve got plenty of onshore and cross-shore winds, mostly from the NNW, with short-period swell. The period drops to 7 seconds on the 20th and 21st, which is just windswell mush. The energy is moderate, but the quality just isn’t there.

The absolute standout, if you’re willing to gamble on a long-range forecast, is the morning of Wednesday the 22nd of July. We’ve got 4ft from the WNW at 9 seconds, with a light WSW cross-onshore wind. The energy is moderate (330), and while it’s not perfect, the light winds make it the most promising window for a clean-ish session. After that, the 24th and 25th of July show some very long-period swell (24-26 seconds) from the SW, but the swell heights are tiny (1ft to 2ft), so it’s more of a longboard glide than a proper wave.

Overall, don’t expect a fire session. The best advice is to keep an eye on the 18th for a bit of push, and the 22nd for the cleanest chance. The rest of the time, it’s a lot of cross-chop and wind. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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