Seaford Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. Let’s be real – this 16-day stretch for Seaford Reef is a total dud. There’s no surf worth talking about. The forecast keeps serving up poor conditions, with barely a ripple to work with. We’re looking at a lot of flat spells, and the few swells that show up are tiny, weak, and messy.

It starts on Friday, July 24th, but don’t bother. We’ve got a 0.7ft swell from the WSW at 8 seconds Friday morning, with a cross-on breeze from the SW at 15 mph – it’s choppy and doing nothing. The combined energy is only 11 (weak), and the water temp is about average for the time of year. Friday afternoon is worse: a 2ft swell from the west at a terrible 3 seconds, onshore wind at 20 mph, and energy dropping to 6. There’s nothing to ride.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are just as bad. Saturday morning sees 3ft onshore from the WSW at 10 mph, with rain showers and energy at 28. Sunday morning has a 1ft cross-on, and while Sunday afternoon goes glassy with a light air from the NW, the swell is only 1.0ft and 4 seconds. The energy is 4. It’s flat.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th offer a little more size but no quality. Tuesday morning bumps up to 4ft from the NW at 5 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore at 25 mph and energy hits 90 – still weak, and it’s choppy. That’s the biggest swell of the whole period, but the wind kills it. Wednesday the 29th brings a bit of hope with clean conditions on the morning – a cross-off breeze from the SSE at 5 mph and a 1ft WSW swell at 9 seconds – but it’s still poor surf, with energy at 33. The longer period (9 seconds) gives it some shape, but the size is too small.

From Thursday, July 30th, it’s back to tiny waves. Glassy conditions on Thursday morning with 0.7ft at 8 seconds – energy 7. Friday the 31st and Saturday, August 1st, are virtually flat, with 0.3ft swells and clean winds, but energy down to 1. Sunday, August 2nd, sees a slight uptick: 4ft from the NNW at 5 seconds on the morning, clean with a light cross-off breeze, and energy at 49. The afternoon goes glassy with 3ft from the west at 5 seconds, energy 29 – still not enough. The combination of swell energy is just too weak.

The rest of the run – Monday, August 3rd, through Saturday, August 8th – follows the same pattern. Tiny swells, mostly under 1.0ft, with clean winds at times but no power. The 9-second period on Monday, August 3rd, gives some shape to the 1.0ft swell, but it’s not rideable. The best shot of the whole 16 days is probably the 4ft on Sunday, August 2nd, morning, but even then, it’s a short-period swell (5 seconds) and the energy is only 49 – a weak little bump. Beginners might find it okay, but it’s not a standout.

Seaford Reef is a sheltered reef break that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks properly. This blank run matches that – it’s not unusual for the area to go through long stretches with nothing. The winds are often onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell exposure is limited. For kite surfers, the stronger cross-onshore days like Tuesday, July 28th (4ft, 25 mph) might look more interesting than paddle surfing, but for a wave rider, there’s just no call to get wet.

The forecast can change, but right now, it’s a long wait. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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