Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, I’m looking at Pipeline and the next 16 days are a real mixed bag. The first week is a write-off for any decent surf. We’re looking at tiny, weak conditions with a cross-off wind that never lets up. The energy is just not there, with combined swell energy sitting at 272 (moderate) on the 18th, but the swell height is only 2ft from the SSW, which is the wrong direction for this spot. It’s clean, but tiny and weak. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is bang on average for this time of year.

We don’t see anything worth paddling out for until the 23rd of July. Thursday morning, the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, but the period is a short 20 seconds, and the wind is still a fresh cross-off from the East at 19 mph. The combined energy finally climbs to 667 (moderate), but it’s still a marginal call. The break is a reef, so the short period, cross-off wind, and small size are not doing it any favours. It’s just not lining up.

The 25th of July, Saturday, shows a similar story. We get 3ft from the SSW with a 19-second period, and the energy is 698 (moderate), but again, the wind is cross-off and the wave comment says “marginal.” It’s clean enough to look at, but not really a goer.

The standout period, if you can call it that, is from the 26th to the 28th of July. The swell height hangs around 3ft to 3ft, still from the SSW, and the period drops to 15-16 seconds. The energy is moderate, around 547 on the 26th afternoon, and the wind is still a moderate cross-off from the ENE. It’s clean, but it’s never going to fire. The best on offer is probably the 26th of July, Sunday afternoon, with 3ft of SSW swell. It’s still small, but the wind is lighter, and the break is a reef, so that slight drop in period might help shape a bit. But honestly, it’s a struggle.

After the 28th, it fades badly. The 29th of July shows a 0.7ft swell with a 21-second period, but the energy is a pathetic 43 (weak). The rest of the run into early August is a dead zone of tiny, poor surf. The wind is cross-off, the swell is small, and the direction is wrong. There’s about a 4-day gap from the 29th to the 2nd of August where there’s nothing worth even a glance.

If you’re an expert, the 26th of July afternoon is your best bet, but don’t expect much. The reef at Pipeline needs a proper WNW swell and offshore wind, and we’re getting neither. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly. The water is warm, the wind is consistent, but the waves are just not there for us.

Rusty.

Read more