72nd Place Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next 16 days are a write-off for decent waves at 72nd Place. There’s nothing to get excited about, so don’t bother waxing up your board just yet.

We’re looking at a real flat spell. The first 15 days? All poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, hanging around 2 ft to 3 ft, and it’s coming from the SSW – which is about the worst direction for this spot since it’s sheltered from that angle. The period is long though, starting at 19 seconds and dropping to 13-14 seconds later on. That long-period groundswell would normally hold some promise at a reef or point, but not here. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the SW or WSW, so it’s messy and choppy. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate, topping out around 583 (moderate energy) on the 15th of August, but the wind ruins it.

The water is sitting at a very warm 71°F, which is 5°F warmer than normal. That’s a big anomaly – feels more like a tropical bath than a Pacific surf session.

There’s a glimmer on Sunday the 16th of August. The morning gets a “marginal” rating (score of 1), with the lightest cross-onshore breeze of the whole period. Swell is 3 ft from the SSW at 15 seconds, but the combined energy is moderate (405). It’s still not good, but it’s the least bad option. If you’re desperate, you could paddle out, but don’t expect much.

The rest of the run into the second week – from the 17th of August to the 22nd – stays locked in the same pattern. Tiny swell, poor wind, and a “poor surf conditions” tag on every session. Nothing changes.

Because this break is inconsistent and the winds are cross-onshore or onshore almost all day, and we’ve got that long-period SSW swell wrapping in… honestly, this setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle. The wind is there, even if the waves aren’t.

Bottom line: no standouts here. No swell to get excited about. It’s a blank run, and that’s pretty normal for 72nd Place when the swell is from the wrong direction and the wind won’t cooperate. Forecasts can change, but right now? Leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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