Outside Corner Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about your local outlook.

Right off the bat, this is a weird one. Don’t be fooled by the calendar. We’ve got a solid, persistent Southerly swell on the way, and it’s almost all clean with offshore wind. The trouble is, for the first several days, the quality just isn’t there. It’s like having a beautiful sports car with no fuel. The first few days are a write-off, with weak energy and poor shape.

From Sunday the 26th through Thursday the 30th, we’re dealing with a period of frustrating surf. The swell is there, but the wave comment is consistently “marginal.” On the 26th, we’ve got 6ft of SE swell, but the period is a short 9 seconds, and the energy is only moderate (812). It’s clean, with a fresh offshore breeze, but the shape and power just aren’t there. The same goes for the following days. By the 28th, the swell drops to 3ft, but the period jumps to a very long 16 seconds from the SSW. That’s a classic groundswell, but at that height, it’s barely a ripple on a point break. The energy is still moderate (649). It’s clean, but frustrating. This pattern holds through Thursday the 30th, with the swell slowly building to 5ft, but still with that “marginal” tag.

Then, things start to get interesting. Friday the 31st of July is when the fun begins. The swell has settled into a nice, clean 4ft from the SSW, and the period pushes to a powerful 17 seconds. The energy jumps to strong (1527). The wave comment finally says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The wind is a moderate offshore, keeping it clean. This is the first day that really delivers. It’s not huge, but that long period means proper, pushy waves.

The best of the best, the standout window, is Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd of August. This is the one you want to call in sick for. On the Saturday, we get a clean 6ft from the SSW with a period of 18 seconds and a phenomenal 2087 on the energy scale. That’s strong wave energy. The wind is a gentle offshore, making it glassy. Sunday the 2nd is just as good, with a solid 6ft from the same direction, 16-second period, and 1918 energy, again with a gentle offshore. This is peak conditions for Outside Corner. The swell direction is a perfect match for its optimum from the SW. It’s a reef and point setup, so that long-period energy is going to wrap in and set up beautifully. Expect long, clean lines and proper barrels for the experienced crew. It’s a point break, so the long period isn’t an issue; it’ll just make the waves stand up better. Since it’s fairly consistent and crowds are only “sometimes,” you’ve got a good shot at scoring.

After that standout weekend, the quality remains high through the first week of August, but it’s a little less epic. From Monday the 3rd through Thursday the 6th, we’re still looking at clean, solid SSW swell in the 5ft to 6ft range, with periods between 13 and 16 seconds. The energy stays strong (over 1000). The wind remains offshore. These are all excellent days for experienced surfers.

Looking further out to the second week, we’ve got a big, powerful pulse on the horizon. Saturday the 8th of August shows a jump in size, with 8ft from the SSW and a 17-second period, but the energy is massive at 3320. The wind is fresh offshore, so it’ll be clean, but that’s getting into expert-only territory. Sunday the 9th is bigger still, with 12ft of SSW swell and 6631 energy. That’s very strong. The wind is moderate offshore and clean, but it’s going to be a heavy, powerful wave. By Monday the 10th of August, we’ve got a 7ft SSW swell with a 20-second period and an incredible 6556 energy. The comment is “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers.” That is a truly rare and powerful groundswell. The direction is perfect, but at that period, the sets will be long, powerful, and walling. Only experts should even look at it. It’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising but not locked in yet.

So to wrap it up: ignore the first part of the week. The real action starts on Friday the 31st of July. The absolute best, most reliable window is Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd of August. Mark it.

Rusty.

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