Suicide Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin'.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – this stretch at Suicide Cliffs is a tough one. It's an exposed reef break that's a magnet for swell, but for the next week or so, the wind is gonna make things real messy. The first few days are a write-off. Saturday the 11th, we're looking at a massive, dangerous swell over 46 feet, which is way too big for anyone, and it's being hammered by severe gale-force cross-onshore winds. The surf might be huge (combined energy of 124,481), but it's completely blown out and unsurfable. Not a chance.

Sunday the 12th through to Wednesday the 16th, the swell drops, but it's still choppy, lumpy, and cross-onshore. The wave energy is weak to moderate, with readings between 167 and 1,142. You'll see some small, poor-quality waves, but honestly, it's not worth paddling out for. The conditions are just ordinary.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday morning, the 17th of July. Now this is where we might get something. The wind turns glassy – absolutely dead calm – and the swell is a tiny 4 feet from the southwest with a short period of 9 seconds. The energy is still low (186), but with that glassy surface, it'll be the cleanest surf of the whole week. It's only a 1 out of 10, so don't expect barrels, but if you're desperate for a slide, that's your window. Friday afternoon goes back to choppy cross-onshore trash.

After that, it's a desert. Saturday the 18th is small and weak with a cross-chop. Then we get a pulse on Sunday the 19th of July – an 12-foot southeast swell showing up, with moderate wave energy (2,056). But the wind is a moderate to fresh cross-shore, creating a lumpy cross-chop. Conditions are "marginal" at best. It's an exposed spot, but that cross-shore wind and short period won't give you the quality you want.

The last real chance is Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st. We get a clean cross-offshore wind from the east-northeast, which is a plus. The swell is a modest 4 to 5 feet from the south-southwest and southwest, with a moderate period of 10 to 12 seconds. The energy sits between 570 and 774. This is actually surfable, and with that clean wind, the waves will have some shape. But it's still "marginal" and only a 1 out of 10 for quality. The long period on the Tuesday means it could be a bit wonky for a beach break, but Suicide Cliffs is a reef, so it might actually line up okay for a more experienced surfer. Crowds are "often" here, so you won't be alone.

After the 21st, it's back to strong, messy onshores and tiny swell until the end of the outlook. This is just how it goes sometimes. The forecasts can always change for the better, but right now, there's no standout, amazing day. The best bet is the 17th for a glassy knee-to-waist-high fizzle, or the 20th and 21st for some clean but average-sized waves with a bit of push.

Rusty.

Read more