Roads End Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next couple of weeks for Roads End. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch. The opening days are pretty quiet, but there’s a little flicker of life way out there.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are basically a write-off with tiny 1ft swell and cross-shore winds messing things up. The water is sitting at a frigid 51°, which is a full 8° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, so you’ll want a thick hood and gloves if you’re even thinking about it. The combined wave energy is weak, barely cracking 140 (moderate energy) on Tuesday, and it’s just not offering anything worthwhile.

We’re looking at a whole string of days with marginal or poor conditions. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th bring a tiny bump in swell to 4ft-4ft, but it’s short-period stuff (7 seconds) with cross-onshore wind. It’s not going to be any good. Saturday the 15th through to Monday the 24th is a long gap where the swell hangs around 1ft to 4ft, mostly from the SW or W, with light cross-onshore breezes. It’s frustrating, but it’s just one of those blank runs for this area. The combined energy gets into the 200s and 300s (moderate) at times, but the quality isn’t there.

Now, here’s the one that’s got my attention. Look at Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th. The swell starts to build. Tuesday morning we’ve got 5ft from the NW, and by the afternoon it’s 5ft from the NNW. The period is still short (6-8 seconds), but the combined energy jumps right up – 436 on Wednesday morning (strong) and a solid 667 on Wednesday afternoon (strong to very strong). This is the standout window. The wind stays light cross-onshore or cross-shore, which isn’t perfect, but for a spot like Roads End that’s exposed to the west and northwest, this is the best on offer. The swell direction (NNW) isn’t a perfect match for the optimum W direction, but it’s close enough to get some waves breaking on the beach and reef. It’s still marginal, so don’t expect perfection, but it’s the only real pulse in the whole run.

So, to sum it up: the first two weeks are mostly a bust. Keep your eye on that last week of August, specifically the 25th and 26th, for a shot at some punchy, albeit short-period, waves. It’s a long-range call, so not locked in, but it’s our only hope.

Rusty.

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