Tamarack Ave. Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for Tamarack Ave. over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions to start with, so patience is the name of the game.

Right out of the gate, from Sunday July 12th through to Friday July 17th, it’s all poor surf conditions with weak, chop-affected swell. The water temp is sitting at 70.7°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, a solid 4.1°F above the long-term average. That’s a weird one, but it won't do you much good if you’re paddling out into messy, gentle cross-onshore wind and small waves. There’s a bit of energy hanging around (combined energy of 446 on Sunday), but the swell is short-period, cross-on, and just not offering you anything you’d want to drive for.

Now, things start to get a little more interesting from Saturday July 18th onward. That Saturday morning brings a S swell at 3.6ft, with combined energy jumping into moderate territory (790), and by Saturday afternoon we see that bump to 4.6ft from the S and combined energy hitting 1080. That’s a sign of moderate wave energy finally building. The winds are still cross-onshore from the WNW, though, so expect some chop on the surface, but the size is creeping up. Still, that Saturday afternoon is a “marginal” window with a score of 2 out of 10 – it’s better than the zeroes, but not quite clean.

Sunday July 19th hangs in there with 2.6–3ft from the SW and cleaner conditions on the morning with lighter winds, but still cross-onshore. The swell period stretches to 17 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. For a beach-and-jetty setup like Tamarack, that super long period tends to make waves break a bit straight and close out, so it’s not ideal. It’s a day to be picky about your tide.

The real standout in this outlook is Wednesday July 22nd. On the afternoon, we see a bump in swell to 4.3ft from the S, with a period of 15 seconds, and combined energy of 1071. The wind is onshore but light from the SW, coming straight from the optimum swell direction for this exposed W-facing spot. That’s a rare alignment. The onshore wind is light at 6 mph, so it’s not going to wreck things, but it’s not glassy. Still, that morning of the 22nd also looks decent with 3.3ft SSW swell and similar light onshore flow. For this forecast window, Wednesday July 22nd afternoon is your best bet – the energy is moderate, the direction lines up, and the size is manageable for advanced surfers. There’s a chance of rain showers, but that won’t hurt the waves.

After that, into the second week, we see a few days of swell around 5–5.6ft from the S on the 23rd and 24th, but the winds stay cross-onshore and the ratings stay marginal at best. That’s paddleable for the crew who don’t mind a bit of chop, but nothing to get hyped about. The swell period drops to 13 seconds, so it’s less organized.

Look, crowds can be an issue here – they’re often around – so if you’re heading out on that Wednesday, expect some company. The break is fairly consistent, so it tends to draw a crowd when it’s on.

Overall, you’ve got a dry spell until Saturday July 18th, then a few marginal days, and a single standout on Wednesday July 22nd where the wind and swell actually sync up. Don’t hold your breath for the rest. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that Wednesday is the session to pencil in.

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