Tankers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of weeks are looking pretty tame for Tankers. We’ve got a stretch of small, clean surf, but it’s going to be a grind to find anything with real push. The energy is there in the water, but the size just isn’t cooperating for the most part. We’ll see a few little bumps, but nothing that will have you calling in sick.

We start off this Thursday afternoon with a tiny 2ft SW swell. The wind is cross-offshore from the ENE, so it should be clean, but the energy is weak at 143. It’s a knee-high dribbler at best. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year.

Friday rolls in with even less size, 1ft. The morning has a bit more period on it, 21 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. But honestly, with that size, it’s just not going to break with any conviction. The energy is moderate at 213. The afternoon bumps up to a 19 mph cross-offshore breeze but it doesn't help the wave.

Saturday’s a similar story. We’ve got 2ft in the morning, but the energy kicks up to a moderate 517. It’s still small, clean, but marginal. The period drops to 18 seconds, which is still decent, but the size is the limiting factor. The wind stays cross-offshore, so it will be glassy.

Sunday stays in the same rut. 2ft surf, moderate energy around 328. The wind is still cross-offshore, so it's clean, but you're just floating around out there. This is the kind of day for a longboard and a lot of patience.

Monday and Tuesday are where we might see a slight bump. Swell heights creep up to 2ft and then 3ft by Tuesday afternoon. The energy is building though, moving into the 369-575 range. The wind turns to more of a cross-shore on Monday, which will put a bit of a chop on the surface. Tuesday afternoon has a better cross-off wind and it looks the pick of the early week, but we’re still talking about marginal, waist-high slop.

Now, the middle of the week, Wednesday the 12th, sees the energy really start to climb. The swell builds to 3ft with a solid 18-second period from the S, and the combined energy hits a strong 1026. This is the most push we’ve seen, but it’s still only in the thigh-to-waist high range. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the ENE. It might be the best we get, but it’s still not great.

Thursday the 13th gets a bit more size, 4ft in the morning, but the period drops to 16 seconds. The energy is still strong at 998, but the wind turns more cross-shore, putting a lumpy chop on it. Afternoon drops back to 4ft.

Friday the 14th sees the wind pick up to a strong 25 mph cross-offshore. The swell is still there at 4ft, but it’s going to be blown out and messy.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the wrong reasons. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see a jump in size, up to 6ft, but look at that period – 7 to 8 seconds. That’s pure wind swell, and it’s coming from the E. This is short-period, messy, onshore slop. The energy is strong, but the quality is going to be terrible. This isn’t surf for a board, this is more of a kite-surfing day. The wind will be howling, the waves will be choppy and sectiony. For the experienced crew, this could be fun on a foil or a kite, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off.

After that blow, things settle right back down. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th drop back to 2ft and 2ft, with the energy fading to weak levels. We’re back to the small, clean, and unexciting stuff.

The 19th sees the swell drop to 2ft before a slight kick in the afternoon to 4ft, but that comes with that short, 8-second period again.

Looking further out, there’s a bit of promise. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st show swell in the 2ft to 3ft range, but with a much better period of 19-21 seconds. The energy is moderate, and the wind is a clean cross-off. This could be a bit more lined up and have some push to it, but it’s still over a week away, so we’ll have to see. It’s promising, but not something to get too amped about just yet.

So, to wrap it up. The best windows are probably Wednesday the 12th, and possibly Friday the 21st. Neither will blow you away, but they’ll be the most surfable. The rest is either too small or too junky. Bring the log and a good attitude.

Rusty

Read more