72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ll level with ya – right now, the surf pickings are pretty slim and will stay that way for a while. We're looking at a long block of poor quality conditions with mostly cross-onshore winds and messy, weak swells. The first real sniff of something better doesn’t show up until late in the period, and even then it’s far from perfect.

The only spot in the forecast is 72nd Place. It's a sheltered, advanced break that is normally inconsistent, and over the next week-plus, the wind is all wrong. Most mornings bring a southerly cross-on breeze around 6 to 9 mph, keeping the surface choppy and the lines messy. Swell heights are tiny, from around 1 ft to maybe 4 ft, with short periods around 15 to 18 seconds – not much push. The combined wave energy is mostly moderate, ranging from about 489 to 861 (moderate). The water is way warmer than normal for this time of year at 71°, which is a pretty unusual anomaly at plus 5°.

There isn’t a single standout session in the first week. The wave comment repeats "poor surf conditions" again and again. The best–or least bad–moment comes around Thursday July 30 into Friday July 31 and Saturday August 1. We get the biggest swell of the whole run, with heights up to 6 ft on Friday the 31st morning, from the south with a period of 14 seconds. Wave energy hits 1813 (strong). Still, the wind is onshore from the SW or WSW, so expect walls of white water and lumpy, drift-prone surf. Not great for paddle surfing, but kiting? Could be interesting given the solid energy and cross-off options aren't there for normal surfing.

For Sunday August 2, things fade quickly – heights drop back below 3 ft, and by the start of the second week (from the 3rd to the 8th of August), we're back to tiny 1.0 ft and 1 ft swells with weak energy (down to 44 to 181). Winds stay cross-on or onshore. Basically a flat spell, which is a real bummer.

There's nothing here to get excited about until the very edge of the window, and even then the conditions aren’t clean. If you must go, the standout is the Friday July 31 morning session – you’ll get the biggest swell (6 ft from the south), but it’s onshore and heavily blown out. For experts only at that size and with the wind, and even then, it’s a bit of a washout.

No real hidden gems here. This is a long dry patch and I’m calling it like I see it. Keep an eye on forecasts – sometimes the models shift, but right now, this stretch looks like one to miss.

Rusty

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