Pelican Watch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Pelican Watch.

To be straight with you, this is a grim stretch for paddle surfing. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but it’s a flat, lifeless run for the most part. The first few days barely have a ripple. Through Saturday the 18th and into the next week, there’s practically nothing rideable – we’re talking 0.7ft to 1.3ft, short period slop that’s not worth paddling for. The wind is a constant cross-offshore, which is a good wind direction, but there’s just no swell to work with. The combined wave energy stays weak, under 100 (11 to 16), so it’s a real struggle.

The first sign of anything that resembles a wave comes on Wednesday morning, the 23rd of July. The swell bumps up to 4.9ft from the SSW, with a 7-second period, and the wind goes light from the WNW – a light breeze that’ll keep the surface clean. The combined energy finally hits a moderate 308. That’s the best we’ve got in the whole window, and I’d call it the standout, but it’s a one-hit wonder. The Thursday afternoon session gets ruined by a cross-onshore, so it’s a single morning window.

After that morning, it’s back to the doldrums. The rest of the month and into August is a washout. The swell drops back to under 3ft, periods are short, and the wind is all over the place – cross-shore, onshore, you name it. The energy is weak again, barely pushing past 100. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 30th of July where the conditions are *clean* with 3.3ft swell, but it’s 6-second rubbish from the ENE, and the energy is only 94. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary.

The very end of the run, on the morning of Friday, the 31st of July, we get a glassy morning with zero wind, but the swell is a pathetic 1.6ft. It’s pretty, but not surfable.

For a beginner-friendly spot like Pelican Watch, anything over 4.9ft is getting big, and the best morning on the 23rd sits right at that mark. For a beginner, that’s a push. The best bet is that Wednesday morning, 23rd of July, but don’t expect much. The rest of the time, you’d be better off with a kite than a paddle if you’re desperate, because the wind is consistent even if the surf isn’t.

Stay patient, check back in a few days. The forecasts can change, and it never stays this poor for long.

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