Right and Left Side Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me tell ya, it’s a bit of a rough stretch ahead for Right and Left Side. We’ve got a full 16-day window to look at, but honest to god, it’s a long, frustrating wait for anything worth paddling out for.

The main problem is the wind. For the first couple of days, right through the end of July, we’ve got light cross-off breezes and tiny, weak swell. The water is sitting at a warm 86°, about average for this time of year, but with waves barely reaching 2 ft from the ENE and weak wave energy, it’s flat and forgettable. Don’t even bother.

Then we hit a real rough patch. From Friday, July 31st all the way through to Sunday, August 10th, it’s nothing but cross-onshore and cross winds, with constant “risk tstorm” in the forecast. The swell starts to build a bit, especially around the 4th and 5th of August, with waves pushing up to 5 ft to 6 ft from the north, but the wind is just ruining it. It’s lumpy, choppy, messy. The swell energy gets strong, but with that onshore wind, it’s all just whitewater. Honestly, for most of that time, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – the waves are there, but the quality is shot.

The only time I’d even consider it is on the morning of Saturday, August 9th. We get a rare “marginal” call with 4 ft of NW swell, still cross-onshore and choppy, but it’s the only decent score in the whole run. If you’re desperate, it’s the best of a bad bunch, but keep your expectations low. That spot is inconsistent and for advanced surfers only, so even when it’s good, it’s not for everyone.

After that, it gets worse before it gets, well, even worse. On August 11th, we see a massive 13 ft swell from the west with strong cross winds – that’s expert-only territory, and the wind is still messing it up. Then into the second week, the swell drops off to almost nothing, with tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft waves and strong cross winds. The last kicker is on August 14th, where a 15 ft west swell rolls in, promising a very big day, with very strong wave energy, and it’s all cross-onshore and lumpy again. A total write-off.

So, the honest truth? There are no standout days here. It’s a 16-day stretch with nearly zero quality on offer. For this area, when the wind is stubborn like this, a blank run like this is more normal than unusual. Forecasts can always change, and it tends not to stay this poor forever, but for now, I’d say save your energy and your wax.

Rusty.

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