Oswald State Park/Short Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Imperial Units

Alright, let’s talk about this 16-day window. We’ve only got one spot in the mix, and honestly, it’s a tough one.

Looking at the whole run, Oswald State Park/Short Sands is in for a pretty bleak stretch. The wind is almost never kind, and the surf quality is consistently rated as poor. The best we can hope for is a few moments of "marginal" conditions, but nothing that’ll get you excited. The first few days are a write-off, with gentle to moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy water. Even when the swell picks up a little, the wind just ruins it.

We’re looking at a solid gap of about a week with no real recommendations. The first faint glimmer of hope shows up on Friday, 10 July. On the morning of the 10th, we get a bit of a break with an onshore wind from the west at 6 mph, and the swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SW. The combined energy is weak (324). It’s still a "marginal" call, but it's the closest we get to a window. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. The swell direction shifts to the west-northwest, and the period stays short, mostly between 8 and 10 seconds, meaning weak, messy waves. The wind is almost always a cross or cross-onshore breeze, making for choppy, lumpy surfaces. The combined energy climbs into the 400s and 500s (moderate wave energy), but with the wind, it’s just a waste. On Wednesday, 15 July, the morning shows a 4 ft swell from the west with a period of 11 seconds (moderate period) and a moderate cross-shore wind, but it’s still only a "marginal" rating. The energy is moderate (600), but the conditions are just not there.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Friday, 10 July. It’s the only time the wind is directly onshore and light, which might give you a clean-ish face. The swell is tiny at 2 ft, period is a very long 18 seconds, but that’s all groundswell energy. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so the size is fine for learning, but the long period might make it break a bit too straight.

Honestly, for most of this forecast, it’s hard to recommend paddle surfing. The combo of stiff cross-shore winds and a beach setup means the conditions are better suited for a kite. The afternoon of Saturday, 18 July, sees a 5 ft swell from the NW with a short period of 8 seconds and a moderate cross-onshore wind, which is a classic windy, messy beach day. After that, the wind just gets stronger, with fresh breezes and lumpy chop through the end of the month.

It’s a blank run. It’s hard to stay optimistic, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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