Stinky Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty flat and quiet stretch ahead. We’re in a lull, and it’s going to last a good while. The first real chance for anything rideable is a long way off, and even then, it’s not looking like anything to write home about.

The wave energy is weak for the entire forecast period, with values mostly in the low double digits or less than 100 - that’s weak energy (34, 72, 100, etc.), and it doesn’t get much better. The water temperature at Stinky Bay is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s one small comfort if you’re just floating around.

From Tuesday, August 4th right through to the early morning of Wednesday, August 13th, it’s a total write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the wave comment reads “poor surf conditions” every single time. You’re looking at 0.7 ft to 3 ft of slop, with a period of 6 to 9 seconds – not enough energy to push a log. The wind is a problem too: on Tuesday and Wednesday it’s a fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. Don’t bother.

The first sign of life doesn’t show up until the morning of Wednesday, August 13th. That’s a gap of over a week with nothing. On Wednesday morning, we see a small bump: 2 ft from the west, with a period of 8 seconds, but the wind is cross-on at 12 mph and the wave energy is still weak at 62. The afternoon gets a bit more push at 3 ft and 147 of combined energy, but it’s onshore wind. The surf is still poor.

Thursday, August 14th, is the only day that might raise an eyebrow. The morning shows 3 ft from the west with a period of 9 seconds and moderate cross-onshore wind at 16 mph. The energy is moderate at 127. It’s still not clean, but it’s the biggest and most consistent bump in the window. The afternoon sees a drop to 3 ft and 96 energy, with onshore wind. You’d have to be keen, but if you’re desperate, Thursday morning is the best of a bad lot.

After that, from Friday, August 15th, through to Wednesday, August 19th, it fades back into the same old story: 1.0 ft to 3 ft, cross-onshore or onshore wind, and weak energy. The wind on Sunday, August 16th, is a fresh onshore at 22 mph – that’s not even worth paddling out for.

Stinky Bay is a reef break, and it’s fairly consistent, but when the swell is this small and the wind is this bad, even a reliable spot can’t save you. It’s mostly exposed to the west, which is the direction the swell is coming from, but it’s just not enough.

If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoon of Wednesday, August 5th, with 5 ft and a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 19 mph, might be more interesting than anything a paddler can do. But for a surfboard? Not this week.

Bottom line: save your energy. The only slight chance is the morning of Thursday, August 14th, and even that’s a stretch. It’s a flat spell, and it’s going to feel like a long one.

Rusty.

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