Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’m gonna be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a long, quiet run with nothing really firing. The first real chance to get wet isn’t until the later part of the second week, and even then it’s a pretty average affair. The water’s sitting at a warm 83°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your buns off.

The only spot in the game is Pelican Watch. It’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent break that’s exposed to the SE swell, and it works best with a SE swell direction. Problem is, the swell just isn’t there for the first week and a half. We’ve got a weak pulse of energy on Sunday 2nd August with a swell around 5 ft from the SSE, but the combined energy is only around 206 (moderate), and the period is a short 6 seconds. That’s windswell, not proper groundswell. The wind is a cross-off SSW breeze at 16 mph, but the forecast is for "poor surf conditions" with a score of zero. It’s just not happening.

Monday 3rd through to Saturday 8th is the same sorry story – small, weak, short-period swell, with the combined energy dropping into the double digits (40-116 range). The wind stays mostly cross-off or cross, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about.

We hit a bit of a gap from about August 9th to the 11th where the energy drops to a measly 19-24 and the swell is under 3 ft. It’s a total flat spell.

Then, on Thursday 13th August, we get a tiny glimmer. The morning sees a 2 ft swell from the south, with a glassy, offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph. The combined energy is only 70 (weak), but it’s clean. The call is "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s not a standout, but it’s the best we’ve got. Friday 14th morning is similar – 2 ft, glassy conditions with zero wind. Again, tiny, but clean.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums through the rest of the 16-day window. The energy stays in the teens and twenties, and the swell is tiny. There’s nothing here for the experienced crew, and even beginners will be scratching around for a ripple.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is a couple of mornings around August 13th-14th with tiny, clean waves. It’s not a classic, but if you’re desperate for a paddle and a few ankle-knockers, that’s your window. The rest of the time, you’re better off doing something else.

Rusty.

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