Ruggles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in on the local surf prospects for the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it’s a quiet stretch ahead. We’ve got a long run of small, mostly poor conditions, so don’t go expecting any fireworks.

Let’s start with the spot. The only break on the radar for this period is Ruggles, a reef and point setup that’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 71°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook kicks off on Wednesday the 19th of August, and it’s a flat start. We’re looking at a tiny 2 ft swell from the south with a short 6-second period, and the combined energy is a weak 33. The wind is a cross-shore, making for a slight chop. Honestly, it’s poor surf conditions. The rest of that week and into the next is a real grind. Thursday the 20th through the weekend are all below 2 ft, with the swell energy dropping into the single digits at times. The wind does turn clean on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, with a light cross-off breeze, but the waves are just too small to do anything with.

There’s a gap of pretty much nothing worthwhile until we get into the following week. The Monday the 24th of August shows a slight uptick with a 2 ft swell from the south, and the morning is clean with a light cross-off wind from the WNW, but the energy is still only 30 and the period is a short 6 seconds. It’s still poor. The afternoon gets messy with a stronger cross-shore wind.

The best of the bunch, if you can call it that, appears on the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August. We get glassy conditions with zero wind, and a 1 ft south swell. The period is still short at 6 seconds, and the combined energy is a weak 16. It’s clean, but the size is barely enough for a longboard. Definitely not a standout.

The highlight of the entire forecast – and I’m using that term loosely – is on the morning of Thursday the 27th of August. The swell nudges up to 3 ft from the SSE, with a 6-second period, and the combined energy hits 109 (moderate). However, the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore, making it lumpy and poor. It’s a bit of a bust, but it’s the biggest energy we see. The swell energy stays moderate through the 28th of August, with 4 ft from the south and 8-second periods, but the wind is a cross-shore, keeping it choppy.

The very end of the run, on the 30th and 31st of August, sees some cleaner windows. The 30th morning has glassy conditions with a tiny 0.7 ft swell, and the 31st morning has a 2 ft swell from the SSE with a 9-second period and a gentle cross-shore. The energy is weak though, around 52. It’s clean, but the waves are still very small.

Overall, the whole 16-day window is a quiet one. The best advice I can give is to keep an eye on the 25th of August morning for a glassy, clean paddle, or the 27th of August if you’re desperate for a little more push, but be prepared for strong onshore winds. There are no true standouts here.

Rusty.

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