Panoramas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good hard look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a pretty quiet stretch. We're looking at a solid 16-day window, but honestly, we're going to be waiting a while for anything that's actually worth paddling out for. The first several days are just a write-off. There’s consistency in the small swell, but the conditions are poor, with cross-onshore breezes messing up the surface. We're talking a gap of about a week before we even see a glimmer of something rideable.

Let's start with Panoramas. This is a beach and reef setup, consistent, and fairly exposed to the swell. It's suited for intermediate surfers. The water temp is sitting at about 70 °F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The early part of the outlook is grim. From July 15th through to July 20th, we see tiny swell – around 2 ft to 3 ft from the Northwest, but the period is short, between 7 and 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak, in the 50 to 120 range, meaning the waves lack any real punch. And the wind is mostly cross-onshore, making for choppy, messy surf. Thursday morning the 16th and Friday morning the 17th have glassy conditions, but the swell is so small (2 ft and 2 ft) and weak that it's barely surfable. The data calls it "poor surf conditions" or "very ordinary" and I'd agree – not worth the drive.

We finally see a proper chance on Tuesday morning, July 22nd. The wind goes glassy, and we get a clean 3 ft NW swell at 8 seconds. The energy is still moderate at 81, but the conditions bump it up to "surfable". It’s small, sure, but it’ll be clean and might be your best chance for a fun little session if you're desperate.

The morning of Sunday, July 26th is another glassy morning, with a 2 ft NW swell at 8 seconds (86 energy). Again, it’s small and clean, a nice morning session for a longboard.

Now, if you're looking ahead, the real standout (and the only one I'd really call a standout) is shaping up for Monday, July 28th. We've got a 3 ft NW swell pushing through, and the period stretches out to 9 seconds, bringing the combined energy up to 145. That’s moderate-strong energy, a proper step up in punch. The wind on Monday morning is a light cross-onshore, which isn't ideal, but it's still surfable.

But hold on – Tuesday morning, July 29th, that's the one. The wind flips to glassy, and the swell is still a solid 3 ft from the NNW at 9 seconds, with energy at 132. That's clean, groomed surf with some substance. This is the pick of the bunch. Get it while it's good, because after that, the wind turns cross-on again.

Looking into the start of the last week, Wednesday morning, July 30th, we have another glassy window with a 4 ft NW swell at 9 seconds and a big energy jump to 197. That's the most powerful swell of the whole outlook. However, it's still labelled as "very ordinary" in the data, which suggests the quality might not match the size. It’s worth keeping an eye on, but don't expect perfection.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a total bust. Sunday the 22nd and 26th offer tiny, clean waves for a longboard. The real one to target is Tuesday, July 29th, for clean, punchy waves. The 30th has more size but might be a bit rough. The rest is just cross-onshore chop. It’s a lean spell, but it tends not to stay this quiet for long.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more