Right and Left Side Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at Right and Left Side. This is a reef break, exposed to the north, and it's inconsistent, so it needs a proper swell to show its teeth. The water's sitting at 86°, which is about 0.5° warmer than the norm for this time of year, so nothing wild there – just your typical warm tropical bath.

Right now, the story is pretty grim. We’ve got a solid stretch of poor surf conditions right through the first week of August. The wind is hammering in from the WSW at 22 to 22 mph, cross-on or cross, and it's lumpy and choppy. The swell is there, between 4 ft and 6 ft, but it’s a short-period windswell, and the energy is moderate to strong (697 to 1784), but it's completely blown out. No point even thinking about a paddle.

We hit a bit of a lull in the quality, but things start to look a little more interesting around Saturday the 8th of August. The swell bumps up to 8 ft from the west, with a 12-second period, and the energy jumps to strong (2721). The wind is still cross-shore at 16 mph, creating a cross-chop. It's marginal, but it's the first sign of something more substantial. The same goes for Sunday morning, the 9th, with 6 ft from the NW and a 14-second period, but the wind stays on it.

Now, here’s the real kicker. From Sunday afternoon the 9th right through to the end of the 16-day window, the swell gets seriously big. We’re talking 12 ft to 13 ft from the west, with periods between 12 and 14 seconds. The energy is massive, hitting 6080 by Monday the 10th. But, and it's a big but, the wind is almost always a fresh 19-22 mph cross-on or cross-shore, making it lumpy, choppy, and messy. For a reef break, that’s just dangerous and ugly. It’s big enough for experts only, and honestly, with that wind, it’s looking more like a kiteboarding session than a surf.

If I had to pick a standout, it’s a tough call. The morning of Saturday the 8th of August offers the first real size with 8 ft west swell, but the wind isn't clean. The morning of Sunday the 9th is a touch smaller but with a longer period, but again, the wind is a problem. Nothing here is a true standout for paddle surfing. It’s all either too windy or too messy.

This is a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. For a spot that's already inconsistent, this kind of blank run is what you’ve got to expect. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be finding something else to do for the next two weeks.

Rusty.

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