Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next 16 days at Red Strand (Dirk Bay) are a tough sell. The forecast is pretty much a flat spell with weak energy and messy conditions. The water is sitting at 66°F – that’s a good 5°F above the long-term average, so it’s way warmer than you’d expect for this time of year. But the surf just isn’t there to enjoy it.

The pattern starts this Saturday 15 August. We’re looking at a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the WSW with a short 7-second period, and combined energy is only 11 – that’s weak. The morning is clear with a gentle offshore breeze, so it’s clean, but there’s no power to push a wave. That afternoon, it gets worse: cross-onshore winds and choppy. Sunday 16 August drops even further to 0.3 ft, and while the swell period stretches to 19 seconds on Sunday afternoon, there’s no height to work with. The energy is a paltry 13.

Monday 17 August offers a bit of hope with the biggest swell of the first week: 3 ft from the west, period 7 seconds, and energy climbs to 120 – that’s moderate. The morning is clear with light cross-shore winds, so it’s rideable for a beginner wanting a foamie session, but it’s not going to turn heads. That afternoon, a fresh 19 mph cross-wind chops it up.

From Tuesday 18 August through to Thursday 27 August, we’re stuck in a rut. The swell hovers between 0.7 ft and 1 ft, with periods mostly around 14-17 seconds, but the energy stays low – anywhere from 32 to 80. The wind is often fresh and cross-shore or cross-off, so it’s clean at times, but there’s simply no wave face to surf. Friday 21 August and Saturday 22 August mornings have clean offshore winds, but the swell is so small (0.7 ft-1 ft) you’d be paddling over nothing. The longest period of 18 seconds on Monday 17 August afternoon is a tease – no height.

The real standouts in this whole 16-day window? There aren’t any. The best shot is Monday 17 August morning with that 3 ft W swell, clean conditions, and a beginner-friendly wave. For anyone else, it’s a flat spell. The whole stretch from 15 August to 30 August has no real juice. The final days on 30 August do show a slight bump: 3 ft from the SE on Sunday morning, period 6 seconds, energy 77, and clean cross-off winds. But that’s still short-period, weak, and really only a small step up. It’s not enough to call a standout.

Bottom line: pack a longboard, a kayak, or just come back another week. The forecast says poor surf conditions across the board, and it’s not likely to change quickly. If you’re desperate, Monday 17 August morning is your best bet, but don’t hold your breath.

– Rusty

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