Road K Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. It’s Rusty here. We’re looking at a stretch for Road K, and I’ll be straight with you—right now, the surf is pretty grim. There’s a real quiet spell to start, but we do see some light at the end of the tunnel.

First up, the overall pattern: For the first several days, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Tiny, weak swells, often with poor winds. It’s not until later in the second week that we start to see a pulse of energy and some actual size, but even then, the conditions are going to be a mixed bag. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

Tuesday 18th August – Road K is exposed to a tiny SSE swell, only 3 ft, with a short period of 7 seconds. Energy is weak (75). Winds are light and offshore, so it’s clean, but honestly, these are very ordinary waves. If you’re a beginner and you’re desperate, you could get wet, but don’t expect much.

Wednesday 19th – Smaller again, 2 ft from the SE (61 energy). Morning has a light cross-off breeze keeping things clean, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about. Again, it’s surfable but barely.

Thursday 20th through Sunday 23rd – This is the real dead zone. Swells drop to 1 ft, energy is in the 20s and 30s, and the wind is lousy from cross to onshore for most of it. Truly poor conditions. If you’re a kiter, you might find something, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a solid no-go. That’s four days of nothing worth reporting.

Monday 24th – Finally, a bit of a pulse. The swell lifts to 4 ft from the south (133 energy), 7-second period. Morning winds are light cross-off and it’s clean. This is the first day that’s worth a look, but it’s still very ordinary. Not a standout.

Tuesday 25th – Similar story, 4 ft south swell (139 energy), glassy-offshore NNE breeze in the morning keeping it clean. Still just ‘surfable’ though. The energy is picking up, but the wave quality isn’t there yet.

Wednesday 26th through Friday 28th – This is where the size jumps, but the quality drops hard. A long-period SE groundswell arrives. On the 26th morning, we’ve got a tiny 2 ft SE swell with a huge 16-second period (162 energy), but strong onshore winds ruin it. Thursday 27th sees a bigger, longer swell (2 ft, 12 seconds, 219 energy) but again, fresh onshore winds from the south. Friday 28th is the biggest pulse we’ve seen: 5 ft from the south (314 energy), with a light cross-off. This is the one. The swell is solid, the morning wind is gentle and offshore, giving clean surf. But at 5 ft, it’s getting too big for beginners. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a short-period windswell, not a clean groundswell. Still, for the experienced surfer, Friday 28th morning is the best on offer in the whole outlook. It’s not world-class, but it’s the standout.

Saturday 29th to Tuesday 1st September – The swell drops back and the winds turn messy again. The 31st morning sees another 5 ft pulse from the east (199 energy) with clean, light cross-off wind, but the period is a short 6 seconds. Not a standout. By the 1st of September, we’re looking at 4 ft from the SE (277 energy), but the wind is onshore and the condition is poor.

The pick of the period: Without a doubt, it’s the morning of Friday 28th August. That’s the closest we get to a proper session with a 5 ft south swell (314 energy), clean with light offshore cross-off wind. It’s the one day where the size and wind align for the experienced surfer. But the period is short, so don’t expect smooth lines. The long-range stuff (like the 26th) is promising on the charts but won’t be rideable in these winds.

Alright, that’s the picture. The early part is a write-off, but if you’re keen, pencil in Friday 28th morning. Keep an eye on the wind.

Rusty.

Read more