Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming down the line for our local waves at Lighthouse (Point Judith) .

Straight up, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this 16-day window is a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, weak, or just plain messy conditions to get through. The first real chance of anything that even looks like a surf comes way down the track. For almost the entire first two weeks, we’re dealing with tiny, short-period slop and angry cross-offshore winds. Don’t get your hopes up.

The story starts on Wednesday, 5 August afternoon: a tiny 2ft S swell at 7 seconds, with cross-off winds. The combined energy is pitiful at 57 – that’s barely a ripple. That theme carries on day after day. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday... all we get is knee-to-waist-high slop (2ft to 4ft) from the SSW, with periods stuck around 6 to 7 seconds. The wind is mostly a moderate cross-off, which keeps the surface clean-ish, but there’s just no power whatsoever. The best we see in that first week is a combined energy of 104 on Sunday afternoon – still just moderate at best. Honestly, it looks more like a day for a paddle on a longboard than a proper surf.

We do get a little bit of a silver lining on Monday, 11 August morning – the wind goes glassy from the NE, but the swell has dropped to an embarrassing 0.3ft. That’s not even a ripple. The crowd situation at Lighthouse can be "sometimes" busy, but with nothing showing, it’ll be a ghost town.

The second week is more of the same. Small swells and mostly cross-off or cross winds. The water temp at the start of the period was a pleasant 70°F, which is about normal for this time of year. But that won’t help the surf. The only moment that even raises an eyebrow is Thursday, 20 August morning. Swell jumps to 5ft from the SSW, period 7 seconds, with a moderate cross-offshore wind. The combined energy comes in at 281 – that’s actually moderate to strong energy. For a second, it looks like something might happen. But the rating is marginal, and it’s still short-period windswell. By the afternoon, the wind switches to a messy cross-shore and the waves drop to 5ft with a chop. For the groms and beginners, that 5ft swell is pushing the limits – definitely not a learner day. For the experienced crew, it’s the best we’ve got, but don’t expect perfection.

The Best of a Bad Bunch: Honestly, the only true standout in this whole 16-day slog is that Thursday, 20 August morning (Lighthouse). It’s not a classic, but with 5ft from the SSW and moderate cross-offshore wind, it’ll be the most powerful, cleanest wave we see all window. The swell direction is SSE, which works well for the break. Just remember, it’s still a short-period wave, so don’t expect long, lined-up walls. And take the forecast with a grain of salt – it’s way out there.

The rest of the days are a write-off. We’re talking about a 12-day gap with no real recommendations before that Thursday blip. It’s a classic Rhode Island summer lull. Keep your board waxed and wait.

Stay patient.
Rusty.

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