Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Royal Palms State Beach is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day window that kicks off now, but the surf is off the cards for a solid stretch. There’s no real recommendation until Friday the 24th, and even then it’s a real struggle. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, coming in at 71°F with a 6°F anomaly, which is a really unusual sign for the area.

The first hint of anything worth paddling out for is on the morning of Friday the 24th. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a massive 24 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is strong (705), but this is a sheltered reef and point break. That long period means it’s a better setup for a point or reef, but the wind is a light cross-onshore breeze. The guidance warns this is a marginal surf forecast with questionable tide conditions, so don’t get your hopes up. Afternoon looks worse with choppy conditions.

Saturday the 25th morning is a similar story. A 2ft SSW swell, still a very long 21-second period, and the energy is still strong (655). The wind is barely a whisper, nearly cross-onshore, but the forecast is still marginal. The afternoon might see a slight improvement with onshore wind, but it’s still a 1/10 on the scale.

Sunday the 26th morning offers a 2ft SW swell, period dropping to 19 seconds, and energy at 531. The wind is light and onshore, which is the best we’ve seen since the start, but the forecast still calls it marginal. The break is inconsistent, so you’ll be waiting for sets.

The following week shows a few more morning sessions on the 27th, 28th, and 29th with 3ft swells and periods in the 16-19 second range, but the cross-onshore wind keeps the surf poor or marginal. By the 30th, it’s back to poor.

The second week, starting August 1st, is a write-off. Tiny 2ft to 2ft swells, short periods, and messy wind. The energy drops right off into the 100s. The only flicker of life is on the morning of August 4th, with a 3ft SSE swell and a 15-second period (energy 582), but it’s still rated as marginal and the wind is light and onshore. The afternoon gets choppy again.

So, the standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th, purely for the very long period groundswell hitting the reef. But it’s inconsistent, the wind is never truly clean, and the surf quality is poor. If you’re a beginner, the swell is small enough, but the inconsistent nature and long waits between sets will frustrate. Honestly, for the most part, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session. The forecast can change, but as it stands, leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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