Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Royal Palms State Beach. Let me tell you, it’s been a rough stretch out there, and to be honest, this 16-day window is looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle. The first week is basically a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and cross-onshore winds messing up the surface. The water is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a real anomaly, feels like bathwater. There’s a proper gap of nearly ten days before we even see a hint of something rideable.

Alright, let’s walk through the misery. Starting Tuesday 14th July, we’ve got a tiny 1ft SW swell at 12 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore at 6 mph, making it light and bumpy. The combined energy is weak at 139. It’s just poor. Wednesday and Thursday are the same story – small, inconsistent 1ft swell, cross-shore or cross-onshore wind, and the energy barely cracks 130-165. Friday 17th and Saturday 18th see a slight bump to 2ft SW swell, still with a 18-second period, but the wind is still tricky. The energy on Saturday morning hits 254, which is moderate, but it’s all for nothing as the wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” The wind shifts to a light onshore on Saturday afternoon, but it’s still not clean.

Sunday 19th and Monday 20th keep the 2ft SW swell, with the energy climbing to 341 on Sunday afternoon, but that’s just a choppy mess with a 12 mph W cross-onshore. By Tuesday 21st, the swell finally pushes up to 3ft from the SSW, with a 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 426 (moderate). But the wind is onshore in the morning at 6 mph, and cross-onshore in the afternoon at 12 mph. The wave comment is still “poor.” It’s frustrating.

The only glimmer of hope comes around Thursday 23rd July. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SSE, with a 14-second period, and the energy hits 572 (moderate). The wind is a cross-shore at 12 mph, which is not ideal, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The wave comment shifts to “marginal” for the afternoon. Friday 24th keeps it going with a 4ft S swell at 15 seconds, energy at 746 (moderate-strong), and light cross-shore wind in the morning. This is the standout window. But even then, it’s only “marginal” – the tide or something else is holding it back. Saturday 25th sees the biggest swell of the run at 4ft S, with energy at 917 (strong), but it’s cross-onshore and the conditions are still poor.

After that, it drops back to 2ft on Sunday 26th, with a long 19-second period, but the wind is onshore. The energy is still strong at 688, but it’s not clean. The last few days of the second week are a slow fade, with 2ft to 3ft SW swell and inconsistent wind.

So, the best on offer is a two-day window on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th July. Royal Palms is a sheltered reef and point break, best with a SW swell, and this is coming from the SSE then S, so it’s not its optimum direction. The swell is 3ft to 4ft, which is small to moderate, and the period is 14-15 seconds, so it’s a groundswell but not a long one. For a beginner-friendly spot, it’s just about manageable, but the cross-shore wind on the 23rd and the light cross-onshore on the 24th will keep it bumpy. It’s inconsistent, so don’t expect a ripper session. Honestly, for a paddle surfer, the whole run looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper wave ride, given the small swell and persistent cross-wind.

Rusty, signing off.

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