Steamer Lane-Middle Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water at Steamer Lane-Middle Peak is a toasty 62° – that’s 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, so you’re looking at a very pleasant paddle. The ocean’s got a bit of a pulse, but it’s a slow start. We’re looking at a few days of small, weak surf to kick things off. Monday the 17th is basically a flat spell – tiny 2ft swell from the WNW with a short period of 9 seconds, and the energy is weak (43). The morning is glassy, but honestly, it’s not worth suiting up for. That “poor surf conditions” tag is spot on.

Monday afternoon stays tiny at 1ft, and Tuesday the 18th brings a slight bump to 3ft, but the period drops to 7 seconds – that’s short-period, weak windswell with moderate energy (155). The wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s just ordinary. This pattern of small, clean but weak surf holds through Wednesday the 19th and into Thursday morning the 20th.

Thursday morning the 20th is where things start to get interesting. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the NW, period still short at 7 seconds, but the energy jumps to 357 – that’s a solid moderate pulse. Wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean. The call is “expect good surf conditions.” This is your first real window. The afternoon goes glassy with a 4ft swell, but the energy drops a bit.

Friday the 21st is a weird one. Swell drops to 2ft, but the period stretches out to 11 seconds – groundswell energy (154). It’s clean, but small. That long period will make it lined up at the reef, but the size is just too small for a proper session.

Now, we hit a bit of a lull. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are back to small, ordinary conditions with 3ft and 3ft swells, short period, clean but nothing to write home about.

Monday the 24th brings a new swell direction – SW – with a long 18-second period, but the height is only 2ft. The energy is moderate (214), but the wind goes cross-shore in the morning, so it’s a bit scrappy. The afternoon cleans up, but it’s still tiny.

From Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 26th, it’s a desert of small, weak surf. Tuesday morning has a pathetic 1ft WNW swell with energy of just 21 – that’s basically flat. The afternoons have some long-period SW groundswell at 2ft (16 seconds), but it’s just too small to do anything with.

The Standout: Mark your calendars for Thursday the 27th of August. That’s the real gem. Morning brings a clean 3ft from the WNW with a 9-second period and energy of 313 – good pulse. Afternoon even better: 4ft, same direction, 9 seconds, energy up to 332. Light cross-off winds, clean conditions, and “expect good surf conditions” on both sessions. This is the best on offer.

Friday the 28th holds similar size, 4ft to 4ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the energy is a bit lower. Still good, but not as crisp as Thursday.

Then Saturday the 29th morning might be the other standout: 5ft from the NW, 8-second period, but the energy is strong at 393. Light cross-off wind, clean. That’s a solid session for the more experienced crew – that 5ft is pushing into the “not for beginners” zone.

After that, Sunday the 30th drops back to small, ordinary surf, and the first few days of September look like a long, quiet stretch. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st are tiny to flat, with a bit of a breeze picking up on Tuesday afternoon (16 mph cross-off), so it’s not worth the paddle.

The whole run has a few gaps of 2-3 days with no real recommendations, but Thursday the 27th and Saturday the 29th morning are the ones to aim for. Keep an eye on that Thursday.

Rusty.

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