Pipeline Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what we’ve got.

Honestly, the next 16 days are a real struggle. The first week, from Saturday the 11th right through to Friday the 17th, is just poor. The waves are tiny, barely 2 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is a stiff cross-offshore from the ENE at 18 mph. That’s not a clean wind; it’s just messy. The swell energy is all over the place, but even the bigger energy readings – like 556 (moderate) on Tuesday the 14th – don’t mean a thing because the quality is shot. Combined energy values hang in the low hundreds for most of that period, which tells you it’s all weak.

The only real hint of anything happens much later. On Wednesday the 22nd of July, we see a pulse of very long-period groundswell. The wave height is only about 2 ft, but the period hits a very long 23 seconds, and the energy climbs back to 303 (moderate). The direction is SSW, which is absolutely the wrong angle for Pipeline. This wave needs a WNW swell to really fire. The wind is still a cross-off ENE at 15 mph, not clean offshore. A 2 ft, 23-second SSW swell at Pipeline is just a weird little ripple – not a wave you’d paddle for.

Then on Thursday the 23rd, the swell picks up to about 3 ft, period drops to 19 seconds, and the energy is solid at 539 (moderate). The wind is still cross-off from the ENE, 15–18 mph. The wave comment says “marginal” at best, and the score is a 1 out of 10. The direction is still SSW, which is all wrong. It’s going to be sectiony and hard to ride.

So, what’s the best on offer? There’s no true standout. The best-looking days are probably Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th of July, but even then, it’s just a couple of small, marginal days with the wrong swell direction and a persistent cross-off wind. The water temp is 79°, which is right on average for the time of year.

The bottom line: the first 9 days are a total blank. The second week has a few tiny pulses of long-period swell, but the direction is all wrong for Pipeline, and the wind never turns favourable. If you’re really keen, you might snag a few close-outs on the 23rd or 24th, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. This setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a traditional surfer, thanks to the steady cross-off wind and small, clean surface.

Rusty.

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