Pleasure Point-First Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut to the chase. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and quiet, so if you’re itching for a wave, you’re gonna have to be patient. There’s a long stretch of nothing happening before things start to look a little more promising.

Right now, and for a good long while, we’ve got almost nothing on the cards. The surf is small, weak, and messy. From Friday the 31st of July through to the 7th of August, it’s a whole heap of whitewash and closeouts. We’re looking at waves around 1 ft to 2 ft, with the energy levels dropping right off. The wind is mostly light and cross-shore, which sounds nice, but with no swell to push it, it’s just a glassy lake out there. Don’t get me wrong, the conditions are clean enough, but there’s just nothing to ride. This is a stretch where you’re better off waxing your board and waiting.

The swell direction is mostly from the S or SSW the whole time, which, for Pleasure Point-First Peak (Santa Cruz), is a bit of a dirge. It’s a sheltered little reef and this direction just doesn’t light it up. The period is up and down, mostly in that 12 to 15 second range, but honestly, with waves this small, period doesn’t matter much.

Now, there’s a little glimmer on the horizon. As we get into the second week, starting around the 7th and 8th of August, the energy levels start to creep up. It's not a big swell by any stretch, but the combination of all swells directed here gets into that moderate territory. We’ve got 226 on the morning of the 7th and 340 on the morning of the 8th. The swell is still tiny, only 2 ft to 2 ft, but at least there’s a bit more push to it. Still, the wave comment just says “poor surf conditions” until the afternoon of the 8th, when it finally gets a "surfable but very ordinary" nod.

That Saturday afternoon on the 8th is your only real bright spot. The wind goes slightly cross-off, and it cleans up nicely. It’s still small, about 2 ft, but if you’re desperate for a little slide, that’s the window. It’s a picky window, and you’ll want a longboard, but the water will have that clean surface you want.

The week after that, from the 9th through the 15th, is more of the same. Small, cross-shore breezes, and surf that just hovers around the 1 ft to 3 ft mark. The energy’s on the rise, with some readings getting into the 300s, and that long period swell at 17 to 19 seconds on the 7th, 11th and 15th, gives a bit of hope for some better shape. But it’s still a no-go for most of us. These long-period swells at a reef like this, if it ever gets any size, could be a thing of beauty, but we need the size. For now, it’s all promise and no delivery.

Honestly, looking at this whole 16-day window, there’s only one stand-out moment, and that’s the afternoon of August 8th. It’s not going to be world-class, but it’s the only time the stars align even slightly. It’s a clean, little reef wave, but don’t expect much power.

For all the beginners out there, don't worry, it’s not too big, but it’s also not worth paddling out for the lack of waves. This is a classic dry spell for this spot; it happens. Forecasts change, though, so keep an eye on it.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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