Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Strand (Pipe).

Alright, so we’re looking at a bit of a slow start here. The water’s sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. Nothing crazy, but you’ll feel it.

For the first stretch, from Saturday the 22nd through the 24th, it’s pretty average. We’ve got some chest-high, 4ft to 4ft SW swell rolling in with moderate energy (367 to 581), but the wind is cross or cross-on, so it’s going to be a bit messy and rippled. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate. The scores reflect that it’s a tough call.

Now, Tuesday the 25th morning is where we start to see a real kick. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SW, with solid, moderate energy (1027) and a 14-second period. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is cross-off, which cleans it up nicely. This is the first standout window. For the experienced crew, this will be fun, with good shape. It’s a bit too big for beginners though.

Wednesday the 26th is the real gem of the first week. We get clean, offshore winds from the E and ESE all day. The swell drops slightly to 3ft-3ft from the SSW, but the period stays long at 12 seconds. The energy is still moderate (548-646), and with glassy, clean conditions, this is the best wave quality you’ll see in this early run. It’s not huge, but it’ll be peaky and lined up. This is your pick for the first week.

From Thursday the 27th through Saturday the 29th, it gets messy again. Wind shifts to the NW and NNW, bringing cross and cross-on chop, and the swell drops back under 3ft. It’s a write-off for a few days. The wave energy stays moderate (375-585), but the wind is just no good.

Then we hit Sunday the 30th. Big change. The swell pumps up to 10ft from the SW, with strong energy (2930) and a 13-second period. This is expert territory only – 8ft plus is for the brave and the skilled. The wind is onshore, so it’ll be a bit of a beast, but for the heavy crew, there will be bombs.

Monday the 31st is a good follow-up. Swell drops to a more manageable 6ft from the SW, with clean cross-off winds from the SSE. Energy is still strong (952). This is a solid session for intermediates who can handle it.

The standout of the entire 16-day window is Tuesday, September 1st. Morning sees 6ft of SSW swell, a very long 13-second period, and glassy, dead-calm conditions. The energy is strong (1169). This is as good as it gets for Strand. Perfect conditions, clean, long-period groundswell. For experienced surfers, this is the one to circle.

After that, the wind gets ugly again for the 2nd and 3rd, but then we see another huge pulse on Thursday the 3rd afternoon: 12ft from the SW with a 15-second period and extreme energy (7108). That’s a monster. Only for experts, and the wind is cross-off, so it will be raw and powerful. There are big waves on offer through the 4th and 5th, with 10ft to 13ft, but the wind is mixed, so it’s a bit of a gamble.

The very end of the outlook, on Saturday the 5th afternoon and Sunday the 6th, shows 13ft SW groundswell with very long periods (16-21 seconds) and extreme energy (4986 to 7523). The wind is cross or cross-on, so it’ll be a battle, but for the big-wave chargers, the ocean will be alive.

To wrap it up: your best bets are Wednesday the 26th for clean, fun waves in the chest-high range, and Tuesday, September 1st for the glassy, perfect session. The end of the window is all heavy, big-wave territory.

Rusty.

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