72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break it down for 72nd Place in imperial.

We’re lookin’ at a tough 16-day window here. There’s swell on the charts, but the wind is just not givin’ us a break. The wave energy is moderate to strong – we’re talking 758 units early on, climbing into the 800s, 900s, and even over 1000 by the end of July. That’s serious juice in the water. But nearly every time, the wind is onshore or cross-onshore – WSW, SW, SSW – and that’s gonna mess up the face of the wave. Hard to find a clean one.

First chance is Tuesday July 21st. We’ve got a 4ft SSW swell rollin’ in with a 16-second period – that’s real groundswell, long and powerful. Water temp is 70°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – about 4° above average. That’s a big deal. But the wind is SW at 10 km/h, straight onshore. Light, sure, but that onshore bump is gonna kill the shape. Poor surf conditions. Score says it all – not worth paddlin’ out.

Wednesday and Thursday, July 22nd and 23rd – still 3ft of SSW swell, period dropping from 15 to 13 seconds. The wind stays WSW and onshore, light to gentle. Thursday morning flirts with “marginal” conditions, but that’s not a recommendation. Still poor and choppy.

Friday July 24th through the weekend, the swell drops – down to 2ft to 3ft. The period spikes to 24 seconds on Friday, which is incredibly long, almost too long for a beach break like this. That kind of period makes waves roll through without much shape unless you’ve got a point or reef. And with cross-onshore wind again, it’s not worth the paddle. Wave energy stays high – 843, 819, 840 – but that’s just the long period making the numbers look bigger than the ride.

Monday July 27th, we’re back up to 4ft SW swell with a 19-second period. A little cloud cover. The wind is cross-onshore, light, but it’s still “marginal” at best. Not enough to get excited about.

The stretch from Wednesday July 30th to Friday August 1st sees a real jump in swell height. We’re talkin’ 3ft to 5ft, even 6ft on Saturday August 1st morning. Wave energy is strong – over 1000 on July 31st and August 1st. That’s serious power. But the wind is still WSW or SSW, onshore or cross-onshore. On August 1st it’s a light cross-onshore breeze, so it’s the best of a bad lot, but it’s still only “marginal” for the morning. The afternoon gets messy with moderate cross-onshore winds and choppy seas.

After that, the energy drops fast. By Sunday August 2nd the swell is down to 3ft, period crashing to 11 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore again. By Monday and Tuesday, August 3rd and 4th, we’re down to 2ft to 3ft with short periods – 7 to 13 seconds – and the combined energy is weak, under 300. That’s small and weak windswell, not worth a mention.

So what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there’s no standout. If I had to pick a moment, it would be Saturday August 1st morning. 6ft S swell, 14-second period, light cross-onshore wind from the SSW at 10 km/h – that’s the cleanest we’re gonna see. But even then, it’s only “marginal,” not good. The period is decent, the size is solid, but that cross-onshore wind is still there, and at a beach break, that’s gonna chop things up. If you’re an experienced local who knows the bank, you might get a few. But it’s not gonna be a day to remember.

For the rest? There’s a lot of talk about a few breaks across the region, but with the wind staying onshore and the consistency being “inconsistent,” it’s a frustrating outlook. This break is sheltered from the SW swell, which is the main direction coming in, so it’s not even getting the best of the swell. And when the swell is over 5ft, like on August 1st, it’s gettin’ dicey for beginners. Over 8ft would be experts only, but we don’t hit that here.

Bottom line: I’d say keep the board in the car and check the cams. The first week is a write-off. The second week has more size but not enough quality. It’s a flat spell in terms of good surf. Just one of those runs where you gotta wait for the next system to line up.

Rusty.

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