Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a tale of two weeks, so let’s break it down.

The water here is sittin’ right around 59°F, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no worries about a surprise chill or a warm little eddy.

We kick things off on Tuesday, August 4th, with some solid, clean 12ft swell rolling in from the southwest. The wind is a cross-offshore, which is good for keeping the faces tidy, but the guidance is telling me the tide and conditions are a bit questionable. It’s not a total loss, but it’s not gonna be a day to write home about either. The wave energy is absolutely cranking at 5819, so there’s plenty of push, but quality is just average.

Wednesday, August 5th, cleans up nicely. We’ve still got good size, 10ft in the morning from the SSW, and the wind swings around to a light SE cross-off. That's an excellent combination for experienced surfers. The energy is still strong at 3709. The afternoon backs off a little in size to 8ft and the wind picks up a touch, but it’s still rideable.

Thursday, August 6th, is a step down. Swell drops to 5ft, and the morning wind is a cross-on, so it’s a bit junky. The afternoon though, we get a brief window of glass with 4ft and the energy down to 543. It’s small, but if you’re desperate for a slide on a longboard, the tide might be right. Friday and Saturday are pretty much a write-off. Swell is tiny, under 3ft, and the winds are onshore or cross-onshore. It’s a classic small and bumpy spell, so you can give the board a rest.

Sunday, August 9th, we start to see a little pulse of energy come back, but the wind is messy. It’s up to 5ft, but with onshore winds, it’s going to be a choppy mess. Monday, August 10th, is where things start to turn around. The wind goes offshore in the morning, and the swell bumps up to 4ft. By the afternoon it’s 6ft of clean, moderate offshore goodness. The energy is back up to 1474. This is a nice, clean start to the week.

Tuesday and Wednesday of that week are okay, but nothing special. We’ve got chest-high waves in the 4-5ft range, mostly clean, but the consistency isn't there. You might get some fun ones, but it'll be a bit of a wait between sets.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real standout is starting on Friday, August 14th. The swell starts to build in a serious way. We’re looking at 16-18ft of west-southwest groundswell with strong offshore winds. The energy readings are in the 6833 to 9560 range – that’s a lot of water moving. This is expert territory only. If you don't know this reef, you don't want to be out there.

Saturday, August 15th, is a bit more manageable, but still heavy. 15-16ft of southwest swell, clean with offshore breezes. Energy is still massive at 7418 to 8657. Still a big, powerful day for the experienced crew.

But the best of the best is Sunday, August 16th. That's the day. We’ve got 15-16ft of long-period southwest groundswell, the period hitting 18-19 seconds. The energy is off the charts at 16022 and 17741. The morning is glass, the afternoon is a clean cross-off. This is the kind of day that makes you want to call in sick. Big, clean, lined-up reef waves. This is the one.

Monday and Tuesday of the following week see the swell holding solid, still in the 13-15ft range, with offshore winds keeping things clean. There’s still plenty of juice, with energy in the 6849-8110 range. But after that, it starts to drop off. By Wednesday, August 19th, we’re down to 10-12ft, still clean and glassy, but the power is fading.

So, to sum it up: there’s a bit of a slow start, a few average days mid-run, but the real gold is in the second week. The standout is unmissable – Saturday, August 16th. That’s the day you want to be at Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s world-class. Don’t sleep on the 14th and 15th either, but know your limits. This spot is for advanced surfers, so if you’re not comfortable in heavy reef surf, give it a miss.

Keep an eye on the sky and the tide, and I’ll see you in the water.

- Rusty

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