Smugglers Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – it's a bit of a slow patch. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a good 4° colder than what we’d normally expect for this time of year, so that’s noticeably nippy. We’re looking at Smugglers Cove, and honestly, the next few days aren't giving us much to get excited about.

The first real chance to get wet is Friday morning, the 17th of July. We’ve got a tiny 3ft swell rolling in from the WNW, but the wind is a light cross-on from the SW. The energy is moderate (515), but it's a long-period groundswell at 17 seconds, which should give some shape. The problem is the wind angle is just a little off, and the forecast calls it marginal. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, so if you’re just learning, it might be worth a paddle, but don't expect anything special.

Saturday the 18th is worse. The swell drops a touch to 2ft, and the wind goes cross-shore from the NNW, picking up to 9 mph in the morning and 15 mph in the afternoon. That’s going to chop things up. By Sunday the 19th, the swell bumps up to 4ft, but the period crashes to 8 seconds, and those NNW winds are still cross-shore and strong. It’s going to be a messy, weak, short-period slop. Not worth it.

Monday the 20th sees the swell holding around 4-5ft, with a light wind shift, but it’s still cross-on and the period is sitting at 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (451), but the quality just isn't there. We’ve got a long stretch here where the conditions are poor, and the cross-shore winds are going to make it frustrating.

We finally get a bit of a glimmer on Saturday the 25th of July. The swell drops to 2ft in the morning, but the period jumps to a massive 23 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is moderate (356). The wind is a light cross-on from the SW, so it’s not perfect, but that long period could wrap in with some clean lines. It’s inconsistent, but for a long-range call, it’s a bit of a standout if you’re patient. The afternoon improves a little with the swell up to 2ft and a 21-second period, energy jumping to 561. Still, we’re talking small waves and a light cross-on breeze.

The rest of the window into the first week of August is pretty much a write-off. The winds stay cross or cross-on, the swell is small and short-period, and the energy is moderate at best. There’s a lot of days with poor surf conditions. The 31st of July and 1st of August offer a little more size, around 4ft to 5ft, but the period is down around 7-8 seconds and the wind is cross or cross-on. It’s just not going to be clean.

Overall, the best bet is that Saturday the 25th of July for the long-period potential, but keep your expectations low. It’s a small, inconsistent, and somewhat marginal window. The rest of the time, you’re better off saving your energy. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a quiet stretch.

- Rusty

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