Rainbow Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Rainbow Rocks.

First off, the water is sitting at 52°, which is about 3.6° colder than normal for this time of year. You’re gonna want a thick wetsuit and maybe some booties if you’re heading out—it’s properly chilly.

The next 16 days start off pretty quiet. The first real window of surf that’s worth paddling for shows up on the morning of Wednesday, 8 July. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the SSW, with a long 18-second period, and combined energy of 1326 (moderate wave energy). That cross-shore wind from the NW will have a bit of chop on it, but there’s some juice in the water. The problem is it’s not super clean. The afternoon of the 8th? That’s a different story. A 10ft NW swell rolls in, but with a short, punchy 7-second period—so it’s gonna be a bit lumpy and crumbly. Wind is cross-off from the NNW at 18 mph, so the face will be clean. That’s a big swell for a beach-and-reef setup, pushing into expert territory. It’s not the cleanest shape, but it’s the first real push.

The 9th of July morning sees a drop back to 3ft with a long 16-second period from the SSW—clean but small. Then Thursday afternoon? A 11.5ft NW swell with a 7-second period, cross-off wind, and combined energy of 1715 (strong). That’s big, steep, and short period—only for experienced surfers. The setup might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the power and the wind.

Then we hit a dry spell. The 10th, 11th, and 12th are all poor surf conditions or marginal at best. The wind stays cross or cross-off, but the swell is messy and weak. Not worth your time.

Things start to look a little more promising again from the 13th of July. The morning of the 13th has 6ft from the NW, 7-second period, clean cross-off wind from the NNW at 9 mph. That’s a fun, manageable size for intermediate surfers. The afternoon bumps to 8ft, same clean wind, but still short period. It’s a workable window.

The 14th of July Tuesday afternoon has a 10ft NW swell, 7-second period, cross-off wind at 18 mph, and combined energy of 1006 (strong). Clean face, but short period—again, more for the experienced crowd.

The 15th of July Wednesday morning is 6.5ft with a 7-second period, cross-off, but the wind picks up to 18 mph. The afternoon gets a 10ft NW with 8-second period, 25 mph winds—that’s a strong breeze, clean but very windy. That’s kite territory.

The standout? You’ve got to look at the 17th of July Friday morning. A 3ft swell from the WNW, with a long 17-second period, combined energy of 1100 (strong). The wind is from the NW at 9 mph, gentle cross-shore with a slight cross-chop. That’s a long-period groundswell, and at Rainbow Rocks, a beach-and-reef spot, it might break a bit straight, but the energy will be there. It’s the best quality wave in the window—clean, long lines, and not too big. The 17th afternoon is also worth a mention: 10ft NW, 8-second period, light NW wind at 6 mph, clean. That’s a solid option for those who want size.

The 18th of July Saturday is a mixed bag. Morning has 7ft from the NNW, 8-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore from the W at 3 mph. Not ideal. The afternoon has a 13ft NW swell, 8-second period, combined energy of 2232 (very strong), but still light cross-onshore wind. That’s big, strong, and slightly messy—only for the brave.

The 19th of July Sunday morning has 8ft from the NNW, 8-second period, light NW wind, clean. The afternoon? 13ft from the NNW, 9-second period, combined energy of 2385 (very strong), with a gentle cross-shore breeze. That’s a massive, powerful swell. The 20th and 21st of July keep delivering 13ft NW swells with clean cross-off winds—these are expert-level, heavy days.

The 22nd of July Wednesday morning has 10ft from the NNW, 8-second period, fresh breeze, clean. The afternoon is a 13ft NNW swell, 9-second period, 25 mph winds, combined energy of 2509 (very strong). That’s the biggest energy of the whole period. It’s only for the dedicated, and the wind is strong. That’s a kite surfer’s dream.

If I’m picking the one true standout: it’s the morning of 17 July. That long-period groundswell with clean, light wind will give you the best quality waves in the whole 16-day window. If you want size, go for the

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