Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Looking at the next couple of weeks at Tankers, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a tough start. The first few days are a write-off. Tuesday morning through Friday afternoon are all showing poor surf conditions, with a cross-offshore wind howling at 18 to 22 mph. The swell is small and messy, nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a gap of quiet, poor surf right through the first part of the week.

Now, we start to see some life from Saturday, July 11th, but it’s still marginal. The swell bumps up a bit, mostly from the SW with a long period around 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s only 2 ft to 2 ft. The combined energy jumps up to 616, which is moderate, but the wind is still a fresh cross-off from the ENE. It’s not clean, but it’s not totally blown out. You might find a sneaky one, but it’s not a day to plan around.

Sunday the 12th through Tuesday the 14th is more of the same—marginal surf. Swell holds around 3 ft from the SW, with a long period, and the wind backs off a bit to a moderate breeze. The combined energy is solid, in the 700s, but the size just isn’t there for a proper session. Water temp is 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so no worries there.

The one standout in this whole 16-day window is shaping up for Saturday, July 18th. Afternoon session looks the best. We’ve got a 6 ft swell from the east, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy hits 1064, which is strong wave energy. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the ENE at 15 mph. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ll see. That said, 6 ft is a bit much for beginners, and the east swell isn’t the optimum direction for Tankers, which likes it from the south. Still, it’s the biggest, most energetic swell of the period.

The days after that, Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th, keep the swell going around 6 ft to 7 ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds, and the wind stays fresh and cross-off. That’s choppy, short-period stuff. It’s surfable for experts, but not what we’d call clean. The energy is strong, with values in the 900s, but the quality isn’t there.

After Monday the 20th, it fades fast. We’re back to small, weak SW and S swells with poor conditions for the rest of the window. Another gap.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is the afternoon of Saturday, July 18th, at Tankers. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only time the swell gets some size and the energy is real. The rest of the time, you’re either fighting the wind or staring at flat water. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, though—it can change.

Rusty.

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