Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our little patch of coast.

Mate, I’ll be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak 16-day stretch for Royal Palms State Beach. The whole outlook is filled with poor surf conditions and a score of zero across every single session. There’s no standout day, no hidden gem, nothing to get excited about. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and it’s consistently choppy or at best light cross-onshore ripple. If you’re hanging for a wave, you’re better off staying home.

Starting from now, we kick off Sunday 9 August with a weak 2ft SSW swell, but the wind is a cross-onshore 12 mph W, making it messy. The water temp is 72°, which is much warmer than normal – over 5° above average, so that’s very unusual for this time of year. The combined energy is weak at 185. Not worth paddling out.

Monday 10 August through to the end of the first week, it’s the same story. Swell hovers between 1ft and 2ft, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods ranging from 13 to 20 seconds. That long period suggests groundswell, but at a sheltered reef and point break it could shape up, except the wind is nearly always cross-on or on. The energy reading sits between 141 and 375 – mostly moderate, but that doesn’t help when the surf is poor quality.

The second week, from around 16 August onward, offers a tiny bump in size – up to 3ft on the 16th, and then on Tuesday 18 August afternoon we see a brief 5ft W swell with a short 6-second period. That’s more windswell than anything, and with a cross-onshore 12 mph W wind, it’s gonna be choppy and mushy. The combined energy jumps to 321, which is moderate, but the quality is still rated poor. This is one of those setups that’s probably more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing if the wind picks up.

From 22 August onward, the swell drops back to 1.0ft to 1ft, with long periods again, but the wind stays cross-onshore. The consistency here is “inconsistent” – this spot rarely breaks, so a blank run like this isn’t all that unusual for the area. It tends not to stay poor for long, and forecasts can change, but right now there’s nothing on offer.

Look, there’s not a single standout in this 16-day window. If you’re desperate, maybe keep an eye on those rare moments of light offshore winds, like Monday 10 August morning with a 2ft SSW swell and SW 6 mph onshore wind – not glassy, but it’s the best you’ll get. But honestly, I’d save the wax for another week.

Rusty

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