Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a quiet spell for the most part. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and mostly tricky winds. You’ll need to wait a bit for anything worth getting wet for.

The forecast starts Thursday 30 July, but there’s no surf worth talking about for a long time. For days on end, we’re looking at waves between 1ft and 3ft, with short, weak period energy and persistent onshore or cross-onshore winds. The combined wave energy is mostly weak, staying under 200 (90 to 363 range), and the wave comments call it “poor surf conditions” across the board. Winds are rarely truly offshore and clean, so the surface ends up lumpy and choppy. For the first week and a half, there’s nothing to get excited about.

The first real glimmer shows up on Friday 7 August morning. We get a jump in period to 19 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell – with a 2ft SSW swell and light offshore SW winds at 6 mph. The combined energy hits 299 (moderate energy). That’s the kind of texture that could make Royal Palms State Beach (sheltered reef and point) really clean and lined up, especially early. The wind is light and offshore, so the surface will be glassy. The only catch is the swell is tiny, so it’s only for the patient, and the crowd profile says “sometimes”, so you might have company. Water temp is 72°, which is 6° warmer than normal – that’s very unusual for the time of year, so the water will feel like a warm bath.

After that, the pattern gets messy. Saturday 8 August still has some long-period energy (18 seconds, 2ft from SSW, combined energy 227) but the wind swings cross-on from the SSE, so it’s not as clean. The rest of the second week sees periods drop back into the 13-16 second range, with onshore or cross-onshore winds picking up – especially by Wednesday 12 August and Thursday 13 August, when the wind gets up to 16 mph from the west, making conditions choppy and blown out. The swell stays pathetic at 1ft to 2ft, and energy levels are weak to moderate. The final Friday 14 August morning might offer a brief opportunity with a light SSE wind and 2ft SSW swell, but it’s cross-on again.

So, the standout is Friday 7 August morning. That’s the only session where you get a long-period groundswell, light offshore breeze, and the break is a reef-and-point which will handle that 19-second period better than a beach break. It’s only 2ft, so it’s small and clean – a log or a longboard will be your friend. The rest is mostly forgettable.

If you’re a kite surfer, some of those afternoons with moderate cross-onshore winds and a bit of chop might look more interesting than paddle surfing.

This is a lean patch, but forecasts can shift. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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