Rehoboth Main Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s cut through it. I’ve looked over the next stretch for our stretch of coast, and I gotta be straight with you: it’s a flat, frustrating run. For the first week and a half, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a solid eight days of dribble and closeouts – the kind of spell that has you checking the cam twice and then just going back to bed. The energy is weak, readings are bottoming out in the single digits and low double digits, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross, chopping up anything that even thinks about breaking. It’s a poor man’s surf, plain and simple.

The bright spot, and I say this with cautious optimism, is the last couple of days of the window. During the Thursday and Friday of the final week, we finally see some proper swell arriving. The energy jumps to moderate and then strong – you’ll see values like 183 and 376, even 436 – but look at the wind. That big Friday swell comes with onshore winds, which will junk it up at the beach. The Thursday option looks better: a 4ft swell with a clean, cross-off breeze in the afternoon. That’s our one true standout, but it’s a long way off and forecasts can change. Treat it as promising, not a certainty.

Now, let’s talk specifics. The main break we’re looking at is Rehoboth Main. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal, coming in at 78° – about 3° above the average for this time of year. Doesn’t sound like much, but you feel it. It’s a bath.

* August 15–24: Dead. Swell heights are 0.3ft to 2ft, period is short, mostly under 8 seconds, and the energy is weak (4 to 58). The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, creating chop. Not a single session worth your time.
* August 25 (Tuesday): Still tiny, 0.7ft to 1ft, but we get a window of clean conditions with light offshore wind in the morning. It’s glassy, but there’s just no power. You’d be floating, not surfing.
* August 26 (Wednesday): A pulse of new energy arrives. Morning sees 4ft from the S with a period of 6 seconds and a 140 energy reading. It’s clean with a NW cross-off wind. This is the first rideable day, but it’s short-period and still won’t be great. The afternoon gets blown out by a fresh 22 mph breeze.
* August 27 (Thursday): This is the pick of the run. Morning has 4ft from the S, moderate energy at 183, and a cross-off wind. The afternoon cleans up even more with a NNW cross-off at 9 mph, and energy at 179. It’s still just over a metre, but it’s clean and has some push. For a beach break, the period is short (7 seconds), so expect it to be a bit crumbly, not a perfect wall.
* August 28 (Friday): The biggest swell of the period hits 7ft from the ENE, but the period is short (7 seconds) and the energy jumps to 376-436. That’s strong. However, the wind is onshore in the afternoon, and it’s cross in the morning. This is the one that gets messy. At this size, especially with short period and onshore wind, this is a mess – not a beginner wave. It’s more of a battle than a session.
* August 29 (Saturday): Swell eases to 5ft-5ft but the onshore wind sticks around, making it choppy and lumpy. It’s poor quality.
* August 30 (Sunday): Back down to 2ft-3ft with onshore winds. The window closes with a whimper.

So, bottom line: the next two weeks are mostly a write-off. The one day to circle is Thursday, August 27th. Get out there in the afternoon when it’s cleanest. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the best we’re going to get, and after a week of nothing, it’ll feel like a holiday. The bigger Friday swell is a trap for the experts only, and even then, the wind is going to ruin it. Keep the hopes pinned on that Thursday.

Rusty.

Read more