Putsborough Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s cookin’ for Putsborough over the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – this is a rough stretch. We’re looking at a solid 10-day dry spell before anything even sniffs at being rideable. From the start of the period on August 20th right through to the morning of August 30th, the surf is just plain poor. The wind is mostly onshore, sideshore, or just messy, and the wave heights are tiny – we’re talking 0.3 ft to 3 ft dribble for days. The combined energy in the water is weak, with readings like 22 and 23, so there’s just no power. It’s a total write-off. You’ll see a bit of a spike on the 28th with 5 ft swell, but a 19 mph cross-shore wind rips it apart, so that’s more of a kite-surfing setup than anything for a paddle board.

Finally, on the morning of Sunday, August 30th, we get a glimmer. The swell bumps up to 6 ft from the WSW, period is a punchy 8 seconds, and the wind swings S at 12 mph, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The combined energy hits 322 (moderate), so there’s some decent grunt in the water. This is your best bet for the whole outlook. It’s a bit of a late call, but it’s the only real window. The swell is solid for a beginner spot like Putsborough, but at 6 ft, it’s starting to get a little hefty for the absolute newbies; it’s more of a fun, head-high wave for the intermediates. That afternoon, the swell pushes to 7 ft (549 energy), but with light rain and a 16 mph wind, it’s still clean but definitely pushing into “hold onto your lunch” territory.

Monday, August 31st, the swell explodes – 10 ft from the W at 10 seconds, with a massive 1403 energy reading. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is a messy 19 mph cross-shore, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. This is not a beginner’s day. It’s big, it’s lumpy, and the cross-chop will be nasty. Only for the experts, and even then, you’d be squinting at it.

After that, it drops back down to average, with the wind turning onshore again into the first week of September. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

So, to sum it up: the only standout is Sunday, August 30th around the morning. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the WSW, the wind is off-shore cleaning it up, and the energy is finally there. It’s not perfect, but after a 10-day drought, it’s the only game in town. Get on it while you can.

Rusty.

Read more