Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's shaping up for Red Strand (Dirk Bay). Honestly, it's a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The water is sitting at 65°F currently, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a small comfort.

Right off the bat, we're not seeing any real surf to get excited about. The first recommendation comes in on Friday afternoon, August 7th, but it's a tiny 0.7ft swell from the SSW with a cross-on breeze. The wave energy is a weak (21), and it's just poor surf conditions. That pattern pretty much sticks for the next week. We go through Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with nothing but tiny waves, mostly poor conditions, and onshore or cross-shore winds. There's a brief moment early on the 14th (Friday) where we get a gentle offshore wind, but the swell is still a pathetic 0.7ft. It's a clean no-surf session.

There's a notable gap here with no real recommendations. We're looking at a solid week of flat, poor conditions. The first real change comes on Sunday morning, August 16th. We get a bit of a bump with a 2ft SSW swell, and the wind goes glassy. That's a beautiful window for a longboard or a foiler, but it's still small. The energy is weak (36), so don't expect to be duck-diving much.

The standout, if you can call it that, is on Tuesday, August 18th. The morning shows a strong offshore wind from the NNE at 19 mph, which will clean things up nicely. The swell is a tiny 0.7ft from the SSW, but the energy reads (42) and it's a longer period swell (17 seconds). That long period suggests some shape, but it's a beach break here, so it might just close out. The real kicker is the afternoon of the 18th, where the combined energy jumps to a moderate (150) with a 1ft SSW swell at 17 seconds. The wind is light cross-on, so it'll be a bit lumpy, but it's the biggest energy we see all forecast. If you're an expert who can make something out of nothing, that's your window.

The following week stays hit-or-miss. The 19th has a clean morning with a 1ft swell and moderate energy, but the 20th and 21st are back to tiny, weak swells. The 22nd sees a slight increase in energy (103) and a 1ft SSW swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore, making it chop.

Bottom line: There's nothing here for beginners (the swell never gets over 5ft, but it's also never really rideable for a learner). For the experienced surfer, the 16th morning with glassy conditions and the 18th afternoon with the moderate energy are your best bets. It's a quiet fortnight, but the offshore winds on the 18th morning are a real tease. Keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

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