Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s happening around the Point Judith Lighthouse area. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a glimmer of hope if you’re willing to wait.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year—nothing too wild, just a touch on the fresh side.

The first mention of anything worth paddling out for is on Thursday, July 30th. Early morning, we’ve got a light NNW breeze at 6 mph, making for a clean, cross-off wind. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the SSE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (185). It’s not going to be a world-class session, but the clean conditions will make it rideable. The afternoon sees the wind picking up to 12 mph, so the morning is definitely the better window.

Friday, July 31st is your best bet in the near term. The early morning is glassy—absolutely flat calm with a NNW breeze at 3 mph. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SSE, but with a period of 9 seconds, it’ll have a bit more shape. The combined energy is still moderate (143). It’s small, but if you’ve got a log or a fish, the glassy conditions will make it a joy. The afternoon stays clean with a 9 mph cross-off, but the morning is the standout.

After that, things get rough. From Saturday, August 1st through to Saturday, August 8th, the forecast is pretty grim. Persistent onshore and cross-shore winds, mostly from the south and southwest, with choppy, lumpy conditions. The swell bounces between 2 ft and 4 ft, but the wind just ruins it. There’s a day on Tuesday, August 4th with a clean cross-off in the morning, but the swell is only 3 ft from the south with a short period. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. This is a long stretch of poor quality, about a week where you’re better off doing something else.

Now, the real standout. Sunday, August 9th. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The morning brings a proper offshore wind from the WNW at 6 mph, with the swell picking up to 6 ft from the SSW. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a bit short, but the combined energy is strong (262). The wind is offshore, the surf is solid, and the conditions are clean. This is the best the window has to offer. The afternoon sees the wind swing cross-off and the swell bump to 7 ft, but the energy jumps to 400—that’s a proper pulse. The offshore wind will hold it together, but the afternoon is a bit wind-affected. For the experienced crew, the morning is the call.

The following week sees a mix of onshore and choppy conditions, with nothing really standing out. The swell hangs around, but the wind is messy. The very end of the period, on Thursday, August 13th, the afternoon goes glassy again with a light wind, but the swell is only 2 ft. It’s a nice idea, but not a session to plan around.

So, the bottom line: Friday, July 31st for the glassy small-wave fun, and Sunday, August 9th for the best chance of a proper session with offshore wind and solid swell. The rest is a write-off until the second week, but that Sunday looks promising.

Rusty.

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