Spring Lake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Spring Lake is cookin’ up for us. I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a long, flat stretch before we see anything worth paddling out for.

First week – pretty grim. We’re lookin’ at a solid run of tiny, weak waves. From Tuesday the 14th right through to the end of the week, the swell is barely a ripple. You’ve got heights mostly under 2 feet, with short, choppy periods, and the combined wave energy is in the weak zone – mostly double digits (12 to 74). Winds are mostly cross-shore or onshore, so it’s sloppy and messy. Thursday morning the 16th has a tiny 0.7 foot with a gentle offshore, but you’d be chasing shadows. It ain't worth the wetsuit.

Monday 20th July morning – here’s the first flicker of hope. Swell bumps up to 3 feet from the SSE with a moderate energy reading of 167, and we’ve got light cross-offshore winds, so it’s clean. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Still, it’s ordinary – just surfable. Not a standout.

Then it flatlines again for a couple of days. The wind stays messy, the swell drops back under 2 feet, and we’re in the doldrums.

Thursday 23rd July – things get interesting, but not in a good way for paddle surfing. We see a bump in swell to a solid 7 – 8 feet from the ESE and E, with very strong energy (423 to 603). That’s expert-only territory, especially with a short period around 7 seconds. Problem is, the wind is howling at 12-16 mph from the S and SSW, whipping up a cross-chop. For a sandbar break like Spring Lake, this setup looks way better for kite surfing than a paddle session. The conditions are poor, no two ways about it.

Saturday 25th July morning – a bit of calm before another storm. We’ve got 4 feet from the S, light cross-offshore breezes, and the water stays average temp-wise. Combined energy hits 138 – moderate. It’s clean and surfable, but still ordinary. Not a highlight, just a window.

Sunday 26th July – another look. 6 feet from the SSE in the morning, but cross-shore wind messes it up. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-offshore from the SW, 6 feet swell, moderate energy of 261. Period is short at 7 seconds, so the wave shape won’t be anything special. It’s marginal.

Best on offer? Honestly, it’s a tough call. Nothing here is a standout. If I had to pick one session, I’d say Monday 27th July morning. You’ve got 4 feet from the SSE, gentle cross-offshore winds, and combined energy of 178 – moderate. It’s clean, it’s surfable, and the crowd factor is listed as "sometimes" so you might get a few waves to yourself. The direction is SSE, and Spring Lake’s optimum is ENE, so it’s not a perfect match, but the conditions are the cleanest in a long stretch. A long 10-second period on the afternoon adds a bit more grunt, but the wind picks up and whacks it.

For the rest of the second week, it’s a repeating story: cross-shore winds, onshore slop, and marginal 3 to 5 feet swells. Nothing to get excited about. The water temp stays average. Sunday 26th through Wednesday 29th July all have moderate energy but poor conditions. Good for a windsurfer, not a surfer.

Bottom line: this is a long, lean period. Spring Lake is a consistent sandbar, so it’ll turn around, but for now, it’s mostly a waiting game. Forecasts can change, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Rusty.

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