Rat Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna level with you straight up: the next couple of weeks at Rat Beach are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of barely-rideable slop, so don’t be in a rush to wax up.

The main issue is that this spot is a reef setup that wants swell from the NW, but we’re getting a whole lot of weak, short-period W and SW windswell. The first real surfable day on the cards won’t be until Monday, July 27th. That’s a solid 9-day gap of flat or near-flat conditions from now until then. For most of that time, the combined energy is pathetic (3 to 73), and the winds are mostly cross or cross-on, making it messy.

But then, Monday, July 27th morning, things finally wake up. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the SW with a long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy hits 646 (moderate). The wind is light and cross-off from the S, which will keep it clean. This is the standout session of the whole forecast. It’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely, and it’s a beginner spot, but with 3ft it’s perfect for that level. Tuesday, July 28th morning is nearly as good – 4ft SW swell, 16-second period, combined energy of 537, and that same clean cross-off breeze. That’s a two-morning window of genuinely fun, clean surf.

Now, on the 27th afternoon the wind swings onshore and ruins it, and Tuesday afternoon gets cloudy and cross-shore. So it’s a morning-only game. After that, it drops back into mediocrity.

To be honest, for a reef break that’s inconsistent and often crowded, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer during the onshore afternoons, with that moderate cross-onshore breeze and choppy water.

Bottom line: don’t even look at it for the first week and a half. Mark your calendar for the morning of Monday, July 27th and Tuesday, July 28th – those are your two real chances for a worthwhile session.

Rusty.

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