Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a ripper for those who’ve earned their stripes. Let’s get into it.

This run kicks off Monday morning, July 20, with some serious juice. Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks is a solid reef setup, and we’re looking at a groundswell from the SW pumping in at a meaty 8ft with a 14-second period. The energy reading is 2680 (moderate wave energy), but let me tell ya, the conditions are glassy with that light ESE breeze. This is prime for advanced surfers only – if you’re not comfortable in the big stuff, give it a miss. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no shocking surprises there. This morning session on the 20th is a genuine standout: clean, powerful, and with that long period, the reef is gonna shape up some proper barrels.

The swell hangs in through Tuesday, July 21, still a solid 7ft from the SW, dropping a touch in energy but staying clean with cross-off winds. Wednesday, July 22, sees the size drop to 6ft in the morning, still clean, but the winds pick up to a more noticeable 9 mph. It’s still good, but the shine is off the first couple of days.

Thursday, July 23, gets interesting again. The morning is smaller at 4ft, but by the afternoon a new pulse of SW swell bumps things up to 6ft with a lovely 14-second period, and light cross-off winds keep it tidy. That’s a solid secondary window.

Now, Friday and Saturday, July 24-25, are messy. Friday is a write-off with strong onshore wind and a short-period windswell. Saturday, July 25, shows a big jump in swell – 8ft in the morning, 13ft in the afternoon – but the wind is howling from the WNW at 19 mph, making it lumpy and cross-shore. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy on Saturday afternoon is a thumping 10169 (strong wave energy), but it’s not for a traditional surfer.

Sunday, July 26, through Monday, July 27, is what we call “too much of a good thing.” Swell is 16ft to 18ft with very strong energy (12736). It’s clean offshore, but that’s a serious amount of water. This is expert-only, and even then, you need to be on your game. The reef should channel it, but it’s a foaming beast.

We get a little window of sanity from Tuesday, July 28, into Wednesday, July 29. Size drops to 8ft on Tuesday and then down to 4ft on Wednesday morning. The magic moment is Wednesday morning, July 29: glassy conditions, 4ft of clean SW swell with 11-second period. That’s a lovely, user-friendly size for the reef, and it’s dead calm.

Thursday, July 30, is a bit of a letdown with cross-onshore winds and a short-period bump. Friday, July 31, is a full-on storm event with 18ft of wind-affected swell – another one for the kite crew.

Then, hold onto your boards, because we’ve got an absolute monster run to kick off August. Saturday, August 1, the morning is exceptional: 18ft from the WSW, clean, with light winds and a 14-second period. The energy is 10100 (very strong wave energy). This is a world-class swell for experts. Sunday, August 2, is the pick of the entire forecast. The afternoon shows 21ft, SW, 13-second period, glassy winds, and a staggering energy of 13465 (very strong wave energy). That’s as good as it gets for a big-wave reef. Monday, August 3, continues the trend with 18ft clean surf. Tuesday, August 4, holds 13ft with offshore winds.

The standout here is the whole window from Saturday, August 1, through Tuesday, August 4. If you can handle it, that’s the trip. The absolute best moment is Sunday, August 2 afternoon. But remember, this is long-range, so keep your fingers crossed. Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks is a rare, consistent performer when the SW lights up, and crowds are rare, so you might have it to yourself. Just be ready for a serious session.

Rusty.

Read more