Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here again. Let’s break down what’s happening at Strand (Pipe) for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off with a little bit of a wait for the good stuff. The first real standout is Friday 21st of August. The morning is the pick—clean, light cross-off wind out of the SE at 3 mph, with a 5 ft SSW groundswell running at 11 seconds. The water is a bit colder than average for this time of year, at 58°, which is a little unusual but not a big deal. The combined energy is moderate (970), and the waves are looking clean. That’s your best call for the start of the week.

Friday afternoon gets a bit messy with the wind going cross. Saturday 22nd is a washout with cross-on winds, but Sunday 23rd morning recovers with clean, cross-off breezes and another 5 ft SSW swell, though the energy is lower (629).

Monday 24th is a skip, but Tuesday 25th morning shows a good jump in the swell to 5 ft SW with a long period of 14 seconds and moderate energy (1034). The wind is cross-off, keeping it clean. That’s another solid window. Wednesday 26th is a beauty—offshore winds in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s glassy with 3 ft SSW swell. That glassy afternoon is a real score.

We hit a bit of a flat spell from Thursday 27th through the end of the month, with onshore and cross-on winds spoiling the party. The swell stays small, and the energy drops. A few sessions might be worth a look at the right tide, but nothing to write home about.

Then the ocean wakes up. Tuesday 2nd of September sees a big jump to 7 ft SW swell in the morning, but it’s messy with a 19 mph cross-breeze. The real action is Wednesday 3rd: a massive 16 ft SW swell rolling in with very strong energy (10808) and a 12-second period. That’s strictly for the experts—way too big for beginners. Winds are cross, so it’ll be lumpy, but for the experienced, this is a serious session.

Thursday 4th is the cleanup day: 8 ft SSW swell in the morning, then 6 ft S swell in the afternoon with offshore winds. The energy is still strong (1062 and 1267), and the conditions are clean. That’s your second true standout: excellent surf for experienced surfers, and the best of the second week.

After that, it settles down into the 5th of September with smaller, cleaner waves to finish the forecast.

So, to wrap it up: your best bets are the mornings of Friday 21st August and Tuesday 25th August, and then the Thursday 4th of September for the bigger, cleaner groundswell. The Wednesday 3rd is for the chargers only. Crowds are possible at Strand (Pipe), so get in early.

Rusty, signing off.

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