Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for our little corner of the coast.

Straight up, this is a tough stretch. We got a 16-day window, but don’t get your hopes up too quickly. For a reef and point setup like Royal Palms State Beach, we are looking at a real dry spell here. The swell energy is all over the place, but the quality just isn’t there for a proper paddle session. The water temp is sitting around 71°F which is a solid 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, almost muggy feeling in the water.

The first few days won’t give you anything to write home about. Sunday the 26th has a small 3ft SSW swell with a long 19-second period, and there’s moderate wave energy (525). But the wind is onshore, so you’re looking at poor conditions. That 19-second period is groundswell, which *could* be lined up right on this point break, but the wind is ruining it. The combined energy dips and climbs through the week – hitting a high of 651 on Monday afternoon – but a 3ft swell with onshore wind just isn’t gonna cut it for a longboarder, let alone a shortboarder.

By the time we hit Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st, the period drops to 14 seconds and the swell is only 2ft to 3ft, but the wind is cross-onshore and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” There isn’t a single standout day here. The energy drops from moderate (500s) down to weak (100s) by early August.

From the 2nd of August onward, the swell drops to 1ft or 2ft and the energy is in the double digits (68, 72, 93). That’s flat. There’s a long gap of weak, blown-out ankle slappers from August 2nd through about August 10th. The best window, if you can even call it that, is possibly the morning of August 7th where the swell period jumps back to 19 seconds on a 1ft SSW swell with light offshore wind, but energy is only 192. That’s a whisper of a wave – something for a foamie at high tide, maybe.

Honestly, there’s no recommendation I can make with a clear conscience. For a spot that’s inconsistent and sheltered, this forecast is a total bust. The wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny or poorly aligned. If you’re dying for a paddle, maybe the morning of July 31st is your best bet – light onshore wind, 3ft from the S with 14 seconds (weak at 422 energy) – but it’s marginal at best. Crowds are possible at Royal Palms when it’s like this because it’s all that’s breaking, but it’s not worth the fight.

Stay patient. This blank run is normal for this area in a quiet season. Keep an eye on the charts.
- Rusty

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