Suicide Cliffs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The 16-day window is a real mixed bag – a long stretch of tiny, blown-out surf early on, building into a monster swell that’s only for the brave and the experienced. The standout is right at the end of the period, but it comes with serious power.

We’re starting with a long quiet spell. The first few days here at Suicide Cliffs (an exposed reef break) are a write-off. We’re talking about 2 ft to 4 ft of messy, short-period swell, mostly cross-onshore winds, and the combined swell energy is weak to moderate (41 to 154). The water temp is about average for the time of year so don’t expect any surprises there. This run of poor conditions stretches from the morning of the 18th of July all the way through to the 25th. There’s a brief moment of glassy conditions on the morning of the 22nd and 23rd, but the swell is so small (2 ft to 2 ft) with a weak period (6 to 7 seconds) that it’s barely breaking.

Then we hit a real rough patch. From the 26th of July onwards, the wind cranks up. By the 28th and 29th, we’re talking storm-force winds (59 to 62 mph) screaming off the land, which is cross-offshore and clean, but the swell is barely a ripple (1 ft to 1.0 ft). The energy is zero (0 to 12). It’s a huge gap with no real surf.

The action, and I mean *big* action, arrives on the 1st of August. The swell jumps to a massive 18 ft, coming from the west with a 10-second period. The combined swell energy is enormous (5483 to 5764). This is expert-only territory, no question. The wind is a strong offshore breeze (22 to 25 mph), so the waves will be clean and lined up, but it’s a serious paddle and a heavy reef. The best of the whole window is the Saturday afternoon session on the 1st of August. The wind is still fresh and offshore, the swell is solid, and the energy is peaking. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The 2nd of August sees a slight drop in size (15 ft) but the wind goes cross-shore, which will add some chop, making it still a dangerous, expert-only day.

So, looking at the whole 16 days: the first two weeks are a total dud. The only real standout, the only day worth paddling out for, is the 1st of August. A massive, clean, west swell at Suicide Cliffs. It’s a heavy, powerful reef break, and that’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re a beginner, stay well away. If you’re an expert, that’s your window.

Rusty.

Read more