Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

Look, I’ll be straight with you. The next 16 days are a bit of a flat spell for the Lighthouse (Point Judith). This reef and point setup is exposed to the south-southeast, which is its best direction, but the swell just isn’t showing up with any real punch. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 25th through the end of August, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at tiny waves, mostly around 1 foot to 2 feet, with swell periods hanging between 6 and 11 seconds. The combined wave energy is weak, mostly well under 100 (55, 24, 33 – real low numbers). The wind isn’t doing us any favors either; it’s mostly cross or cross-off, with a bit of a cross-chop on the 27th and a choppy onshore on the 28th morning. There’s a brief moment on the 28th afternoon where it’s surfable but ordinary, with a 2 foot SE swell and a light 6 mph cross-off wind, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

The first week of September doesn’t offer much more. Tuesday the 1st of September morning shows a slight bump to 4 feet from the SSW, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. The energy climbs to 140 (moderate), but the surf quality is still described as very ordinary. Winds are light and cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the waves just don’t have the grunt.

We hit a long gap after that. From Wednesday the 2nd of September all the way through Tuesday the 8th, it’s back to tiny surf – 1 feet to 3 feet – with poor conditions and scores of zero. Most of it is cross or onshore wind, with a lot of chop. Not worth the drive.

There’s a flicker of hope right at the end of the forecast period, on Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning shows a 4 foot swell from the SSW with an offshore WNW wind at 16 mph, and the afternoon kicks up to 4 feet from the same direction with a solid 12 mph offshore from the NW. The combined energy reaches 110 (moderate), and the conditions are clean with a moderate offshore breeze. It’s still short-period (6 seconds), so it won’t have much push, but for this stretch, that’s your best bet by a long shot. If you’re an expert looking for a clean but weak wave, that Wednesday afternoon is the standout.

Honestly, this is a tough run. The spot is fairly consistent, but when there’s no swell, there’s no swell. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this flat forever.

Rusty.

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