Sunset Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The 16-day window for our local zone is a bit of a funny one. We’re looking at Sunset Beach, a sandbar setup that’s pretty beginner-friendly, but it’s caught in a bit of a slump. The forecast shows a long stretch of nothing special, with the first few days offering basically no rideable surf. The water’s sitting at a balmy 72°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a full 6°F above average, so you’ll be comfortable in a shorty or even boardies if you’re brave.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are a write-off. Tiny swell around 1ft to 2ft from the SW and SSW, with onshore winds wrecking any chance of a wave. The energy is weak, barely registering. Friday the 7th sees a bit more juice in the water, but the swell is still small at 2ft and the period is a long 19 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, but it’s just too small to do anything with these onshore winds. It’s a frustrating tease.

The weekend of the 10th and 11th? Same story. The swell bumps up to 2ft to 3ft with that long period (15-18 seconds), and the combined energy builds, but the wind is cross-onshore, chopping it up. The wave comment says “poor surf conditions” or “marginal” at best. By Tuesday the 11th afternoon, we get a brief moment where the wind lays off to a light onshore breeze and the swell is 2ft with an 18-second period, but it’s still marginal. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

The real standout – if you can call it that – is looking at the tail end of the forecast. Thursday the 14th and Friday the 15th. The combined swell energy is building strong, hitting a solid 3ft of SSW swell and a gorgeous 18-19 second period. That’s a lovely long-period groundswell. The wind is onshore, but it’s light, so the surface might stay cleaner than earlier in the week. For a beginner sandbar, this is about as good as it gets in this window. Still small, but the energy is there. The Saturday the 15th morning also shows 3ft with a 16-second period, though the cross-onshore wind will put a bit of a texture on it.

Beyond that, the second week fades out again. Monday the 17th through Thursday the 20th sees the swell drop back to 2ft to 2ft with those cross-onshore winds returning. The energy numbers fall off steadily. Nothing to get excited about.

So, the pick of the bunch? It’s the afternoon of Friday the 14th and the morning of Saturday the 15th. The swell is small but punchy for a beginner spot, the period is long and clean, and the wind is manageable. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only window where you might actually get a fun little ride. Crowds are possible at Sunset Beach, so expect some company on those small but clean lines.

Rusty out.

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