Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at the outlook for Lighthouse. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one for the next 16 days. The surf is small, the scores are low, and we’re in for a long stretch of waiting.

The overall pattern is grim. There’s a real lack of any solid, rideable swell. We’re looking at a stretch of surf that’s basically not worth paddling out for until the very end of the period. For the first week, from Saturday the 8th through to the morning of Saturday the 15th, the wave heights are tiny, mostly under 3ft, with a short period around 6-8 seconds. The combined energy (19-112) is weak to moderate but the note is always "poor surf conditions". It’s a real bummer.

There’s a glimmer of something on the morning of Wednesday the 12th. The wind goes glassy, which is a major positive for clean conditions, but the swell is only 2ft from the SSW with a 6-second period. The combined energy is just 42 (weak). It’s clean, but there’s just no power behind it. A few days later, on the morning of Saturday the 15th, we get glassy conditions again, but the swell is even smaller at 2ft and from the S. The potential is there for a clean, tiny wave, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

The real, and only, standout of this entire forecast is the afternoon of Sunday the 16th. The swell jumps up to 6ft out of the SSW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 528 (strong). The wind is cross-off from the SW, which will keep the wave faces clean. The note changes from "poor" to "marginal". This is the best we’re going to get, but at 6ft, it’s getting into territory that might be too much for beginners. The offshore wind is a huge plus here, and it’s the only day with any real size. The following morning, Monday the 17th, drops right back down to 2ft.

The second week gets a bit weird. There’s a long period groundswell (16 seconds) on Tuesday afternoon the 18th, but the swell is only 1.0ft, so it’s basically a non-event. The combined energy (100) is moderate, but the period is so long that it’s going to break straight and fat over the reef and point. By Wednesday the 23rd, the swell tries to build again, hitting 8ft from the S. That’s a solid size, but with a short 7-second period and a stiff cross-off breeze, it’s going to be a lumpy, closing-out mess. The combined energy (495) is strong, but the quality is marginal. That’s one for the experts only, and even then, it’s not looking great.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the afternoon of Sunday the 16th. It’s the only day with a decent swell size and clean wind. Every other day is either too small, too windy, or too messy to bother with. The water temp is about average for the time of year, no anomalies to report.

Hang in there, Rhode Island. It’s a quiet stretch, but it won’t stay this way forever.

Rusty.

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