States Avenue (Gas Chambers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Alright, I’ve dug into what’s coming for the next couple of weeks, and I’ll level with you – it’s a pretty flat and frustrating run for States Avenue (Gas Chambers). The water temp is sitting at 76°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the wetsuit can be a bit thinner, but you’ll need a lot of patience.

We start off on Wednesday, the 15th of July. The swell is tiny, only 1ft coming from the SE with a short period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is weak (19), and it’s just poor surf conditions. The wind is a cross-off, but there’s nothing to work with.

Thursday the 16th is more of the same – 1ft to 2ft from the S, period a measly 5 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore. The energy is pathetic (17 and 16), and the ocean has a cross-chop.

Friday the 17th, the swell drops back to 1ft to 1ft from the SSE and S, with a short period. Wind is light cross in the morning, then onshore in the afternoon. It’s just not happening.

We hit a low point on Saturday the 18th. The morning is a 0.3ft swell with a 14-second period – that long period for such a tiny wave just means a lot of waiting for nothing. Combined energy is a dismal 13. The afternoon picks up to 2ft, but it’s from the SE with a period of just 4 seconds and a cross-onshore wind. It’s a write-off.

Sunday the 19th is the first time we see a glimmer. The morning has 3ft from the S with a 7-second period, and the wind is cross-off, making it clean. The combined energy is still weak (78), but it’s a step up. The afternoon is the best we’ll see for a while: 2ft from the SSE with an 8-second period, and the wind goes offshore at 12 mph. Conditions are clean, and it’s surfable, but the waves are ordinary. Still, that’s the standout for the first week.

Monday the 20th offers a real treat, but it’s fleeting. The morning is glassy, with the wind dead calm from the ENE at 3 mph. The swell is 3ft from the SSE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is 86. It’s surfable, but the waves are nothing special. The afternoon goes to crap with a cross-onshore, so you’ve got a small window.

From Tuesday the 21st through to Wednesday the 29th of July, it’s a long, grim stretch. The swell hangs around 1ft to 3ft, mostly from the SSE or SE, with periods between 5 and 8 seconds. The combined energy sits in the teens to low 90s, and the wind is rarely favourable. There are a couple of mornings with clean conditions – like Tuesday the 21st morning, and Friday the 24th morning – but the swell is too small and weak to get excited about.

We get another brief look on Sunday the 26th of July. The morning has 3ft from the SSE with a 7-second period, and the wind is offshore at 9 mph. The combined energy is 96, and it’s clean. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 3ft with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 101 – that’s the first time we crack triple digits, indicating moderate wave energy. The wind is cross-off, and it’s clean. This is the best of the second week, but it’s still just ordinary surf.

The final days, from Monday the 27th to Thursday the 30th, are a letdown. The swell drops, the wind turns onshore, and it’s choppy. The best of the worst is Wednesday the 29th morning with 2ft from the SSW and a 5-second period, but the wind is cross-onshore and lumpy.

So, the bottom line: the only real standout is Sunday the 19th of July afternoon, with clean offshore winds and a small, surfable wave. And maybe a glassy window on Monday the 20th morning. The rest is a long, flat wait. The long period on the 18th is a tease, but there’s no power behind it. For a beach/jetty setup like this, the lack of any decent groundswell makes it a tough watch. It’s not looking good for paddle surfing; if you’re a kite surfer, the windier, choppier days might be more your thing.

Rusty.

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