Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Royal Palms State Beach. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch is a tough one. The overall pattern is mostly small, weak, and chopped up by the wind. There’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it window of clean, fun surf, but it’s short-lived. The water is sitting at 72°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, feels like a warm bath out there.

We kick things off on Saturday the 5th, but it’s a write-off. The swell is just 3ft from the SSW, but with a 9 mph cross-on W wind, it’s choppy and messy. No point paddling out.

Sunday the 6th is where it gets interesting. The morning brings a light NNE offshore breeze at 6 mph, cleaning up that 3ft SSW swell (15-second period). The wave energy is moderate (430). The real standout is Sunday afternoon: glassy conditions with a N wind at 3 mph, and the swell bumps up to 4ft from the S (14 seconds) with moderate-to-strong energy (524). This is the best on offer for the whole forecast. The waves will be clean and lined up, but be aware this spot is inconsistent and sheltered, so don’t expect a pumping session. It’s a beginner-friendly reef and point, so that 4ft is perfect for learning. Crowds are possible here.

From Monday the 7th onwards, it’s a long grind. The wind swings cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell stays small, mostly around 1ft to 4ft, but it’s all wind-affected. The combined energy drops to weak-to-moderate levels (between 108 and 582, but mostly in the 100s and 200s). The swell period is all over the place, from short 6-7 second windswell to longer 19-second groundswell, but with the poor wind, it doesn’t matter. There’s a real gap from Monday the 7th all the way through to Friday the 18th where the surf is just poor. The odd small window pops up, like Wednesday the 9th morning with a 1ft swell and glassy conditions, but it’s tiny and weak (243 energy). Not worth a trip.

On Saturday the 19th, we get a glimmer: a 5ft W swell with a short 7-second period and a light onshore wind. The energy is moderate (496), but the conditions are marginal. This is more of a kite surf setup than a clean paddle wave, as the beach-and-reef setup will be choppy and blown out. For the experts, it might be a challenge, but for most, it’s a pass.

So, to sum it up: your one true standout is Sunday afternoon, the 6th of September. Get out there for the glassy, clean 4ft S swell. The rest of the 16 days is a long, flat stretch with poor conditions. Don’t waste your time.

Rusty.

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