Red Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Red Beach in feet.

Straight up, the next week and a half is dead for any real surf around here. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and sloppy conditions. From Wednesday, July 29th, all the way through to Saturday, August 8th, it’s mostly ankle-biters under 2ft with a ton of onshore or crosswind, making it choppy and unappealing. There are a couple of moments on July 31st (Friday morning and afternoon) where we get a clean offshore breeze from the West, but the swell is a tiny 2ft from the East at a long period of 11 seconds. That’s polished but totally lacking any punch – the combined energy is only 125 (weak). It’s a frustrating wait.

The real story here is the big pulse that arrives over a week away, on Sunday, August 9th. That morning we see a solid 8ft NE groundswell rolling in, with a heavy combined energy of 931 (strong). That swell is big – too big for beginners – but the wind is cross-shore from the South at 15 mph, creating some chop. The standout window is actually late on Sunday afternoon, when the wind shifts to cross-offshore and the swell stays at 8ft with energy jumping to 1185. That’s got some serious push for experienced surfers.

However, the absolute best on offer – and I mean the only true standout in the whole 16 days – is Monday, August 10th morning at Red Beach. We’re talking a massive 13ft NE swell at 12 seconds, with a combined energy reading of 4901 (very strong). That’s a beast of a groundswell. The catch? It’s too big for this break. The file says wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this setup. This is an expert-only day, and even then, a 13ft long-period NE swell at a beach break (which Red Beach is) can be a washing machine – it might break too straight and heavy. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the SSW, so the surface will be perfect, but you need to be on your game and know what you’re doing. This is a “you’ve been warned” kind of situation. The swell stays big through Tuesday and Wednesday, but the wind gets stronger and less favorable.

For the casual surfer, you’re better off waiting for the fringes of that swell – maybe Thursday, August 13th morning when it drops to 7ft at a cleaner 13-second period from the NE, with a light cross-offshore wind from the NW. That’s more manageable and still has plenty of power (energy 1643). Just be aware crowds are "sometimes" a factor there, so it won’t be empty.

Also, the water temperature is sitting at 57°F with a slight negative anomaly, so a touch cooler than average for this time of year. Bring a thick wetsuit.

In short: nothing for the first 11 days, then a massive, dangerous swell hits on the 10th that’s only for experts, followed by cleaner but still big waves through the 13th. There’s no easy, fun surf in this outlook.

Rusty

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