Point Ronald and Princetown Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down Point Ronald and Princetown. It’s a river-mouth spot that’s exposed to the southwest, and it breaks fairly consistently. The water’s about normal for this time of year, nothing wild.

The 16-day forecast has a lot of action, but it’s a split story. The first week starts with a bang. Sunday 16 August morning is the top pick early on: clean, 10ft of SW swell, a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE, and the combined energy is roaring at 3009. That’s a solid groundswell with a 14-second period, and it’s going to be powerful – not a wave for beginners. The light wind keeps it clean, but it’s big.

Monday 17 August morning is a great follow-up: 8ft of WSW groundswell with a 16-second period, glassy conditions with a slight air from the east, and energy at 2914. That’s a long, clean swell with offshore wind – prime for experienced surfers.

Tuesday 18 August morning keeps it alive with a clean 7ft, gentle offshore from the NNE, and energy at 2024. The swell direction is still WSW, and the period is 14 seconds. Solid.

Then we hit a lull mid-week. Wednesday 19 August to Thursday 20 August are small and marginal with onshore winds – not worth it. Friday 21 August morning looks promising again with 7ft of WSW groundswell, a 15-second period, clean cross-offshore, and energy jumping to 4010. That’s a strong pulse, but the wind is a bit fresh at 16 mph, so it might be a little textured.

Then things get ugly. From Friday 21 August afternoon through Wednesday 27 August, the swell turns huge and messy. Strong onshore winds and massive swell – 12ft, 13ft, even 15ft – with poor conditions. This is unsurfable, and with that much wind and size, this setup looks more like a kiteboarding spot than a paddle spot. The energy levels are insane, hitting 9496 at one point, but it’s just a chaotic, blown-out mess.

The real standouts are at the very end of the period. Friday 28 August and Saturday 29 August are absolute gems. Friday morning: 7ft of WSW groundswell, 16-second period, clean cross-offshore, energy at 2237. Friday afternoon goes glassy – zero wind, 7ft, 15-second period, energy at 2348. That’s a dream session for experienced surfers. Saturday 29 August morning is also glassy, with 6ft of WSW groundswell and a 13-second period, energy at 1364. It’s a bit smaller, but still clean and inviting.

Crowds at Point Ronald are often a thing, so get there early for those glassy windows. And since it’s a river mouth, long-period groundswell like the 15-16 second stuff can break a bit straight, but it’ll still offer some good ones.

Best bets: Sunday 16 August morning, Monday 17 August morning, and the glassy sessions on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August. The middle is a write-off, but the ends are worth the wait.

Rusty.

Read more