Rat Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Rat Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch. This is a reef setup that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and this forecast is a real test of patience. We’re looking at a long gap of flat, tiny, or just plain messy conditions before anything even starts to breathe.

The first few days are a write-off. The swell is tiny, barely cracking 2 ft, and the period is all over the place. You’ll see a little pulse of long-period energy on the 11th and 12th, with combined energy in the moderate range (155 and 170), but the wind is cross or cross-on, turning it into a bumpy, choppy mess. Not worth paddling out for.

We finally get a bit of a window on the 13th of August into that Thursday morning. The wind goes light and cross-off, cleaning things up. The swell is only 2 ft from the southwest, but with a decent 16-second period, there’s some shape there. The combined energy reads 130, so it’s weak, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. You’ll be scratching for a ride.

Things stay poor until the 18th of August. That Tuesday morning, the wind finally swings offshore from the southeast at 9 mph, and the conditions are clean. Swell is still small at 3 ft from the west, with a 6-second period, so it’s short-period windswell, but it’s clean. The combined energy is 83, so it’s weak, but it’s the best-looking surf in the whole run. That Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning the 19th also look clean with light offshore or cross-off winds, holding the same 3 ft to 3 ft west swell. This is your window. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s the only clean surf we’ve got. The crowds here are listed as “sometimes” busy, so you might have a few others out, but it’s a small, inconsistent reef break so it won’t be a zoo.

After that, it fades back into tiny, weak, and messy conditions for the rest of the run. The 20th has a long-period 19-second swell, but it’s only 0.3 ft, so it’s a ghost. The 22nd and 23rd are back to tiny, choppy leftovers.

So, if you’re jonesing for a wave, your best bet is the 18th and 19th of August. The Tuesday morning the 18th is the standout for me. It’s clean, the wind is offshore, and you’ll get a few waist-high lumps. It’s for the true die-hards. For everyone else, keep the board in the car and your eyes on the long-range forecast – it can’t stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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