Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about Strand (Pipe). This is your spot for the next couple of weeks, but we’ve got a bit of a slow start. For the next few days, the ocean’s in a mood – Monday the 14th through Thursday the 17th are mostly poor or marginal, with a lot of cross and cross-offshore winds, mostly in the fresh breeze range, making things messy or just not worth paddling out. Water temps are sitting at 59°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year, so it’s a touch on the chilly side, but nothing wild. There’s a modest 2ft to 5ft of swell coming from the SW, with moderate to strong combined energy (219 to 1485), and some decent periods around 11 to 16 seconds. That longer period stuff means the waves will have some push, but the wind is killing the quality. It’s not looking good.

We get a bit of a break Friday the 18th through Monday the 21st. Still small SW swell, 2ft to 4ft, with moderate energy (145 to 801), and periods around 11 to 14 seconds. The winds are mostly cross-off from the ESE to SE at moderate to fresh speeds, so it stays clean but not epic. It’s surfable but ordinary. You’ll get some rides, but don’t expect anything to write home about.

Now, here’s the real standout. On Tuesday the 22nd, we’ve got something special. Tuesday morning is glassy with a 3ft SSW swell, 13-second period, and moderate energy (672). That’s a recipe for clean, fun waves. Then Tuesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the SSE, but the period drops to just 7 seconds – that’s short period wind swell, and while it’s got strong energy (938), it won’t have the same shape. Still, the morning session on Tuesday is your best bet of the whole outlook. Clean, glassy, and a nice long period SW groundswell. It’s a beautiful combo.

From Wednesday the 23rd through the end of the forecast period, we’re back to a mix of small to moderate SW swell (2ft to 5ft) and mostly clean conditions with cross-off or offshore winds. A few glassy windows on Thursday the 24th morning and afternoon, with 3ft SSW swell and moderate energy (351 to 428). That’s another nice opportunity for clean waves. But the rest of that week and into the next, the winds pick up again, and the quality fades. The swell stays in the 2ft to 3ft range with moderate energy, and the periods are decent, but it’s not going to fire.

Overall, your best bet is Tuesday the 22nd morning. Glassy, clean, and a nice 3ft SSW groundswell with good period. It’s the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is a bit of a waiting game or a quick paddle for small, clean waves when the wind lays down.

Rusty

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