Right and Left Side Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you how it's lookin' for Right and Left Side over the next couple weeks. Honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag, and I gotta be straight with you – for a wave that's supposedly exposed to the north, the wind's gonna be a real issue for paddle surfing. This setup might be more interesting for the kite crew than for us on a standard shortboard.

Right now, we're looking at a pretty quiet stretch. Through Sunday afternoon and all of next week until about the 31st, it's small, weak, and mostly messy. The combined swell energy is barely registering, with readings like 26 to 42, just tiny. We're talking knee-high slop, 1.0ft to 2ft, and the period is short – 5 to 9 seconds – so no real push. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, so it'll be clean-ish, but there just isn't enough swell to bother paddling out. It's a real drought.

Then, heading into the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August, we finally see some life. Saturday morning the 1st, a long-period groundswell (12 seconds) starts filling in from the east. The swell height lifts to 3ft and the combined energy jumps to 304, which is moderate. That's a start. But the wind swings cross-onshore from the west-northwest, and the description says "fairly choppy" – not what you want for a clean wave. Sunday the 2nd sees the swell push higher to 5ft with even longer period at 14 seconds, and energy getting up to 752. It's a proper groundswell, but that wind is still cross-onshore. It's a real shame.

The whole first week of August keeps that theme: solid swell, but poor conditions. By the 6th of August, Thursday morning, we get 5ft from the north-northeast with a 15-second period, energy hitting 1276 – that's strong wave energy for sure. The wind becomes cross-shore, which is a step up, but the report still calls it marginal. If you're keen, this is the first real chance, but it's a gamble.

However, the real standout window starts on Friday the 7th of August. The swell is 7ft from due north with that awesome 15-second period, and the energy is through the roof at 2077. This is the best swell of the forecast, by a mile. And get this – the wind is forecast to be light and blowing onshore from the northwest. Now, for a reef break that needs clean conditions, "onshore" isn't ideal, but at just 9 mph it won't be a total mess. It's a trade-off: huge, powerful lines versus a bit of texture.

The pick of the whole run is probably Saturday the 8th of August. Still a solid 7ft from the north (1761 energy), but the wind switches to a light westerly-northwesterly breeze at 6 mph and it's described as "clear". This is as close to clean as we're going to get for that big swell. It's still technically onshore, but light. For advanced surfers, that's the morning to be out there. Just know that this spot is listed as "inconsistent" and crowds are "sometimes" an issue, so if a clean 6ft groundswell shows on a Saturday, you might have some company.

Right and Left Side is a reef break that works best on a north swell. The optimum swell direction for the spot is north, so that Friday through Monday window is the perfect direction. But keep in mind, a 15-second groundswell this long can make a reef break a bit walled-out and straight. It's not for beginners – anything over 5ft is getting big for novices, and at 6ft-plus, it's strictly for the experienced crew.

After that, Monday the 10th of August still has 6ft from the north, but energy is massive at 2979, and the wind goes cross-onshore from the west. It'll be lumpy. Probably a drop in quality.

So, overall: a long quiet spell until the 1st, then a real tease of swell with bad wind, but a solid payoff from the 7th to the 9th. That Saturday the 8th of August is my top pick, but keep your expectations realistic on the wind.

Rusty.

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