PKs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for your local stretch.

First up, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a long, slow run of tiny, marginal surf from Tuesday the 21st right through to the end of July. The swell is small, mostly under 3 feet, with a mix of short-period junk and some longer-period S/SSW groundswell that’s mostly just sloshing around without enough size to get you excited. The winds are a steady cross-off from the ENE, which keeps the surface clean, but the energy just isn’t there. The combined energy is mostly in the 300-900 range (moderate), but it’s not translating into rideable waves. Frankly, it’s a lot of paddling for not much reward.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, kicks off on Monday the 27th of July. The swell starts to build from the east, with heights climbing to 5 feet by Monday morning, then 6 feet by Monday afternoon. The combined energy jumps to 1148 and then 1630 (strong). This is a solid, long-period groundswell (15-14 seconds) pushing in. The wind stays clean and cross-off from the ENE, which is a good sign. This is the best window of the whole outlook.

Tuesday the 28th of July is the peak. Swell holds at 6 feet out of the east, with a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is right up there at 1671 (strong). That’s proper surf. The winds are still a clean cross-off at 12-16 mph, so the faces should be holding up well. This is a proper, solid east swell. For a reef break like PKs, that’s a sweet spot. Keep in mind the water temp is about average for the time of year, so not too cold or warm.

After that peak, things drop off quickly. By Wednesday the 29th, we’re back to small 2 feet S swell. The morning of Thursday the 30th of July has a little tease with 2 feet S swell and a light breeze, and by the afternoon it goes glassy – but it’s still small. That’s a nice, clean session for a log, but not a standout.

The first week of August looks bleak again. The 31st into the 1st has poor conditions, with the wind turning cross-shore and creating chop. There’s a tiny bump on the 2nd of August with 4 feet E swell, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and messy. The 3rd has a little pulse of longer-period E swell at 3 feet, but it’s not enough to save the week. Confidence is low for that second week – it’s a long way out and the models are showing a drop-off.

So, the takeaway: ride the east swell from Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 28th. That’s your window. The rest is a waiting game, but it tends not to stay flat forever.

Rusty.

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