Roaches Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. It’s a real flat spell on the cards for Roaches Reef. Let’s break it down.

The water’s sitting at a balmy 68°, which is a solid 8° warmer than it should be for this time of year. That’s weird, and while it’ll make the wait comfortable, it doesn’t do a thing for the waves.

We’re looking at a long, dry run. From Saturday, 11 July all the way through to Monday, 20 July, the ocean is just about out of service. Most of the swell is tiny, short-period junk, and the conditions are messy. The combined energy of the swell is a pathetic 13 (13) on the Saturday, and it barely breaks into double digits for days. You’ll see a few glassy patches, like Saturday afternoon and Tuesday 14 July afternoon, but with waves running 0.6ft to 1.0ft, you’re just floating.

There’s a tiny flicker on the 20th. Monday 20 July morning shows a 3ft W swell with a combined energy of 62 (62). The wind is a clean offshore from the E, and the afternoon goes glassy with a N wind. The forecast says it’s "surfable but very ordinary" – and that’s the best we’ve got. It’s small, but it’s clean. For a die-hard, you might snag a couple on the high tide.

The next real tease is the 21st. Tuesday 21 July morning shows a 3ft W swell, and the combined energy jumps to 140 (140) – that’s some moderate energy. The wind is a light cross-shore from the ESE, not perfect, but workable. The afternoon cleans up with a glassy NW wind. Again, it’s a "surfable but very ordinary" call. The swell period is 8 seconds, so it’s short-period windswell, not a thing of beauty, but it’s the most consistent energy we’ve seen.

Then it goes quiet again until the 26th. Sunday 26 July morning brings a 5ft W swell and a combined energy of 214 (214) – that’s a solid pulse of moderate wave energy, and the biggest we’ve seen. The wind is light cross-onshore from the SE, which is okay, but the forecast says "marginal." The afternoon picks up with a 5ft swell, but a strong ESE wind at 15 mph will chop it up. This is the stand-out in the whole 16-day window, but it’s a long way off and the wind is a problem.

Overall, the best pick is the 21st of July. The afternoon on Tuesday 21 July sees a glassy 2ft W swell with a period of 8 seconds. It’s not big, but the glassy conditions will make it the cleanest you’ll find. The combined energy is 67 (67), so it’s weak, but it’s the most manageable and cleanest window. The 26th of July has more size, but that wind is a killer.

For beginners, stay away from the 26th – 5ft is a bit much, especially with a chop. For the rest of the time, you’re just looking for a paddle. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the wind and the small, weak swell.

Rusty.

Read more