Spring Lake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee and settle in, ‘cause I’ve had a proper look at the charts for Spring Lake, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s gonna be a long, quiet stretch. We’re talking a 16-day window, and for the first nine days, it’s pretty much a write-off.

The pattern is flat and uninspiring. There’s a big gap with no real recommendations until we get to the tail end of the second week. The first bit of anything that even gets a mention doesn’t turn up until Thursday the 20th of August, and even then, it’s ordinary.

Alright, let’s break it down. From Tuesday the 11th through to Wednesday the 19th, you’ve got tiny to no swell. Most days are showing wave heights barely scraping 1 ft, with combined swell energy in the weak range (single and low double-digits), often under 20. The wind is all over the shop, but the waves just aren’t there. It’s a blank run, and for an area like this, that’s pretty normal when the dials aren’t turning.

Now, the first real glimmer comes on Thursday the 20th of August. It’s nothing to write home about, but it’s the best on offer. Spring Lake itself finally sees some surfable conditions. We’re looking at a clean morning with a light cross-offshore breeze from the W at 9 mph. Swell is tiny, about 2 ft from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is only moderate, sitting at 104, so it’s weak, but the conditions are glassy enough to have a paddle. The afternoon holds similar, with a WSW breeze around 6 mph keeping it clean. It’s beginner-friendly at this size, but don’t expect any punch. Crowds are a possibility here as it’s a consistent sandbar, so you might have some company on a small day. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird going on.

After that, we slip back into the doldrums. Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd of August have some clean windows, but the wave heights drop back under 3 ft with poor energy. Saturday afternoon even has a 4 ft pulse from the S, but with a pathetic 5-second period, it’s just messy and not worth the paddle.

There is a final little window late in the forecast. On Tuesday the 25th of August, we get another chance. The morning shows clean conditions with a light offshore from the W at 9 mph. Swell is 4 ft from the S with a 5-second period. The energy is moderate (105), but it’s short-period windswell. It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon looks a touch better, with a clean offshore breeze from the WNW (12 mph) and 4 ft swell from the S, energy at 141. Still, the period is short (6 seconds), so it’s not going to have any real shape or push. This is still okay for intermediate surfers, but beginners might find the short-period chop a handful.

Bottom line: don't get your hopes up for a score. Thursday the 20th and Tuesday the 25th are the only real standouts, and they’re more about getting wet than getting barrelled. It tends not to stay this poor for long, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty.

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