Roads End Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get right into it for this stretch. We’re looking at a pretty long run of small, wind-affected waves, so don't expect too much action for a while.

The first day worth mentioning is Friday, July 24th. We’ve got a small, weak swell rolling in at Roads End, a beach and reef setup. The swell is from the NW at 4ft with a short period of 9 seconds. The water is a very unusual 51°F, which is 7° colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a real shock to the system. The wind is light from the WSW, which is offshore, so the surface should be clean. This is a marginal surf day, but with clean conditions and that offshore wind, it’s the best we’ll see for a while. The combined wave energy is moderate (402).

After that, we hit a real dry spell. From Saturday, July 25th, right through to the end of the month, the conditions are poor. The wind shifts, staying mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell drops to tiny 2ft to 3ft. Even though there’s a very long-period groundswell of 22 seconds on Saturday the 25th, the swell is too small and the wind is messy. The wave energy might be moderate (434, 804), but it’s not producing any rideable waves. This is a long gap of about a week with nothing worth paddling out for.

There’s a change in the pattern as we head into the first week of August. Around Sunday, August 2nd, the swell picks up a bit to 4ft from the WNW, but the period drops to a short, weak 8 seconds. The wind is still cross-shore, making it choppy. It’s still a marginal surf forecast. The energy is light (319).

The stand-out window, if you can call it that, comes on Tuesday, August 5th and Wednesday, August 6th. The swell builds to 6ft – 7ft from the NW, but these are short-period, wind-driven waves. The wind is mostly cross-shore, so it’ll be a bumpy, cross-chop mess. Waves of this size, over 5ft, are getting too big for beginners, and with the short period and poor wind, it’s only for the experienced guys and gals looking for a grindy session. The wave energy is moderate (568, 645, 697). This is the most powerful swell of the outlook, but the quality is poor. It’s more of a workout than a classic surf. The crowds at Roads End can be a problem sometimes, but with conditions this average, it might not be too busy.

In summary, keep your expectations low. Friday the 24th is your best bet for a clean, small wave, but everything after that is a battle against the wind and chop for the next two weeks.

Rusty.

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