Ricks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch for surfing. We’re looking at a long period with very little to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The main issue is that we just don’t have the swell, and when there is something, the wind isn’t helping us out.

The first week is basically a write-off. We’re seeing small, weak, and short-period swell petering out. Through the 15th to the 20th, the swell is small, with the odd day of chopped-up conditions and cross-onshore breezes. The energy is pretty weak, with the combined swell energy readings in the low hundreds, like 295 and 333 on the 15th and 16th. It’s just not doing anything for us.

There’s a slight chance of a clean-up on Friday the 21st. The wind goes light and glassy in the morning, and the swell, while still tiny at 2ft from the WNW, is at least surfable. The period is a weak 9 seconds, so it’s not going to be powerful. It’s ordinary, but it’s something. But don't get too excited; it's a real knee-high kind of day.

The next few days after that, from the 22nd on, the swell direction swings around to the ENE, but the size is still small. The winds start blowing from the SSW, which gives us a cross-offshore breeze at Ricks Reef (Big Island). That will keep the surface clean, but the waves are just too small to be worthwhile. We’re talking 3ft at best, and it’s pretty inconsistent. The energy picks up a touch on the 22nd afternoon, hitting 430, but the swell is still not quite enough to get you out of bed for.

The second week is a real bust. It’s all small, weak, and mostly messy. The swell direction shifts around from NNE to NNW, and the size stays in the 2ft to 3ft range. Even when there’s a bit of a bump with a longer period, like 12 seconds, the energy is just too low and the wind is often onshore or cross-shore. There are a couple of clean-looking mornings with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is just not there. It’s a lot of paddling for nothing, honestly. This spot is inconsistent at the best of times, but a run like this is more normal for the area. We just have to hope the forecasts change for the better. It tends not to stay poor for long.

We’ll keep an eye on it, but you might be better off doing something else for a while.

Rusty.

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