Spring Lake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks for Spring Lake are looking grim. I’ve been staring at the charts and there just isn’t a single decent surf window in the entire 16-day run. Every day is marked with poor conditions and scores of zero. It’s one of those stretches where you’d be better off taking the board down for a repair or checking the local lake for a flat-water paddle.

The first sign of any swell comes in on Monday morning, July 6th, but it’s a tiny 3 ft from the ESE with a weak period of just 4 seconds. That surf has no energy (wave energy is low at 47). It’s also blowing a cross-onshore wind at 9 mph, so it’s going to be choppy and messy. Don’t even think about paddling out.

Tuesday, July 7th, we get a touch more height – 4 ft from the east – but it’s still short-period junk around 6 seconds, with a moderate cross-shore wind keeping things lumpy. The wave energy creeps up a bit (112 in the afternoon) but it’s still poor.

Wednesday the 8th is more of the same: 3 ft, cross-onshore, not worth the wetsuit. By Thursday the 9th, the swell drops right off to 2 ft and smaller, and we’ve got southerly breezes kicking up cross-chop.

We do get a few mornings with offshore winds – Friday July 10th has a gentle offshore from the west, and Thursday July 16th has a clean offshore from the northwest – but the swell is pathetic. We’re talking 1.0 ft to 1 ft. Even if it’s glassy clean, you can’t surf what isn’t there.

Now, there is a notable spike on Monday July 13th. The swell jumps to 8 ft on the morning and 10 ft in the afternoon from the ENE, with periods around 7-8 seconds. The wave energy is massive – 639 in the morning and 1132 in the afternoon. That’s serious power. But here’s the catch: the wind is howling from the ENE at 19 mph, cross-onshore and lumpy. That kind of size with that wind direction at a sandbar exposed to the east? It’s going to be a washing machine. If you’re a strong paddler and don’t mind getting beaten up, maybe you’d give it a look, but for the vast majority, that’s going to be ugly and borderline dangerous. It’s really only for experts, and even then, expect messy, blown-out conditions. I’d say that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that big pulse, the surf fades away again. Tuesday July 14th has 5 ft on the morning but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy. From Wednesday July 15th onward, we’re back to tiny ankle-snappers – 1.0 ft to 3 ft – with variable winds, none of it coming together for a clean ride.

The last few days, from Friday July 17th through Tuesday July 21st, are a sad mix of light onshore breezes and tiny swell, with a strong breeze and heavy rain rolling in on Tuesday the 21st. Nothing to get excited about.

Bottom line: there are no good surf options at Spring Lake in this forecast window. With the break being consistent and the area exposed, it’s unusual to have such a blank run, but it happens. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, save your energy.

Rusty.

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