Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s happening at Oswald State Park/Short Sands. Gotta be straight with you—this stretch is in a bit of a funk. The water’s running at 56°, which is over a degree and a half colder than what you’d usually expect this time of year, so that’s a solid reminder to bring the thick rubber if you’re thinking about getting wet.

We’re looking at a long, quiet run here. From Tuesday the 7th right the way through until around Saturday the 18th, there’s nothing that’s really worth paddling out for. The combined energy of all swells is sitting between 242 and 611, which is moderate to strong on the energy scale, but the wind is just hammering it. Almost every session is cross-on or cross-shore, with a nasty chop on it. Not your friend.

You’ll see a few brief windows. Friday morning the 10th, direction goes light offshore from the west, with a weak 2ft, 16-second SW groundswell. Combined energy is 324, which is on the lower side. It’s marginal, and the tide might mess with it, but that long period could shape up a couple of lined-up runners if you’re lucky. That’s the only real hint of something clean in the first week and a half.

Sunday the 19th afternoon shows a bit of hope. A NW swell at 5ft, 8-second period, but the wind goes light offshore from the west. It’s still a short period, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but glassy conditions could make it fun on a longboard or a fish. Combined energy reading of 476 is moderate, but it’s the cleanest wind we see in the whole forecast.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Monday the 20th morning and Tuesday the 21st afternoon. Swell builds to 5–5ft from the NW, period still short at 8 seconds. The wind is offshore from the west on Tuesday the 21st afternoon, so that’s as good as it gets. 5ft with offshore wind at Short Sands can be a good time, but it’s not groundswell, so expect peaky, chunky waves, not long walls. Energy sits around 481, which is moderate.

Overall, the consistency here is fairly consistent, which means normally something would pop sooner. But this run is stubborn. The best bet is to hang tight until that offshore window on the 21st. Forecasts can shift, and this place tends to surprise you when you least expect it.

Rusty.

Read more