Royal Palms State Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The outlook for Royal Palms State Beach is pretty grim for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf conditions stretching from July 8th all the way through to July 18th. That’s a long gap – over a week and a half – with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft, and the wind is almost always cross-on or cross, keeping the surface chopped up. The combined energy of all swells for those days is weak, mostly under 300 (moderate energy at best, but often far less), and the water temperature is sitting at 68° on the 8th, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, but it doesn’t help the waves.

The first sign of anything even slightly interesting comes on July 19th, early in the morning. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the SSE with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 589 (moderate wave energy). The wind is light and cross-on, so it’s not clean, but at least there’s a bit more push. The score is still a 1, so it’s marginal at best – tide conditions might mess it up. By the afternoon of the 19th, the swell goes to 4 ft from the S with a period of 16 seconds, and the energy hits 842 (moderate to strong wave energy), but the wind shifts onshore, and conditions are described as poor. The 20th keeps the swell around 3 ft to 4 ft from the S, but the wind is cross-on and choppy, so it’s still not happening.

The biggest event on the horizon for the whole 16 days is the afternoon of July 19th, with that 4 ft S swell and 842 energy, but it’s let down by the wind. The morning of the 19th is probably your best bet if you’re desperate, but don’t expect much. There’s no standout window here – just a glimmer of hope in the third week. The reef and point setup at Royal Palms can handle a long-period swell like this (16 seconds is groundswell territory), but it’s inconsistent at the best of times, and with the wind never cooperating, it’s a tough call. The optimum swell direction is SW, but the best swell comes from the SSE and S, which isn’t ideal. Honestly, for a beginner spot, this is a blank run. It’s not surprising for the area, but it’s a bummer. Keep an eye on forecasts, because things can change, but for now, I’d say stay home.

Rusty.

Read more