Spew Pits Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this straight. Right now, and for the next two and a bit weeks, Spew Pits is not the place to be for a traditional paddle session. The finder is pretty much red-lining the whole joint as poor, and looking at the numbers, I can see why. This isn't a "maybe it'll clean up" situation, this is a "leave the board in the car and watch from the rocks" situation.

We’ve got a solid run of north-northeast winds, mostly as a cross-off or just a straight cross, blowing 15 to 22 mph through the first week. That’s putting a nasty chop on the surface and making things messy. The swell is there, mostly around 3 to 6 ft from the N/NNE, but it's short-period, wind-slop stuff, 6 to 8 seconds. That’s not going to wrap in and give you anything with shape. It’s just going to be a lumpy, bumpy mess. The combined energy is moderate, with values like 277 and 383 in the first few days, so there’s push, but it’s all for nothing with that wind and period.

By the 11th, the swell drops right off a cliff. The morning has a weak 1 ft, and the afternoon is a terrible 0.6 ft. The energy numbers bottom out in the 30s, which is barely a ripple. This is the start of a real dead spell. The 12th isn't much better, with a sloppy 2 to 2 ft.

From the 13th through the 16th, we get a bit of a pulse back, with waves pushing back up to 5 to 6 ft on the 15th. That Saturday the 15th has the biggest swell of the whole run, hitting 6 ft, and the energy is strong, up around 449 and 458. But, and it's a big but, the wind stays cross-off from the NNE, which is the wrong direction for this place. It's still going to be lumpy on the surface. It’s promising in size, but it’s not going to be clean.

There’s one little glimmer, and it’s a long way off. On Monday, the 17th, the wind finally eases, dropping to 9 mph in the morning. The swell is still a decent 5 ft from the N with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy is up at 366. This is the only session in the whole window that gets a score above zero, and even then it’s just flagged as marginal. The wind is still a cross-shore, but that lighter breeze is a massive improvement. This is the one to keep an eye on, but I wouldn't plan any road trips for it just yet.

The 18th and 19th see the swell back down to 3 to 4 ft, and the wind starts to pick back up. Then the 20th fades out to a forgettable 2 ft.

So here’s the deal. The first 12 days are a write-off. The weekend of the 15th and 16th will have some size and power, but it’ll be ugly. For a stand-out, you’re looking at the morning of Monday the 17th of August. That’s your window. Light winds, a 5 ft swell, and a 10-second period. It’s only a 'marginal' call, but it's the only one on the board. It’s a reef, so the long-period groundswell is an advantage here, but we're not quite there. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is about normal for this time of year, so you don't need the thickest suit. Honestly, with this much wind and short-period chop, the setups here look more interesting for a kite than a paddle. I'm not holding my breath, but I'll be checking that forecast for the 17th.

Rusty

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