Tarantulas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

We’ve got a run of surf coming up at Tarantulas, but it’s a proper mixed bag, so patience is key. The action kicks off on Thursday, July 30th, with a solid 6 ft NW swell rolling in, but don’t get too excited just yet. The wind is a messy cross-on from the WNW at 9 mph, and the waves are choppy. The combined energy reads 1195 (moderate), but the quality is just not there. It’s a frustrating start.

Friday, July 31st, is more of the same: 6 ft NW swell, but cross-winds at 12 mph keep things chopped. The afternoon actually drops to a score of zero, which is rough. Saturday, August 1st, pushes a little more size with 7 ft to 8 ft NW swell, and the morning has lighter cross-winds. The afternoon sees a shift to a cross-off breeze from the NNW at 18 mph, which cleans things up a bit – but those aren’t ideal offshore winds for this spot.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday, August 2nd, and Monday, August 3rd, bring some real power. Sunday morning hits 8 ft from the NW with a period of 9 seconds and combined energy of 1268 (moderate). The wind is still cross, but it’s manageable. The standout though is Monday morning, August 3rd. The swell holds at 8 ft, the period stretches to 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 2157 (strong). The wind is a light cross-on from the WNW at only 6 mph, so there’s just small wind ripples. This is the best window of the whole forecast. The waves will have proper shape, but at 8 ft, this is for experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach for this one.

After Monday, it trails off. Tuesday, August 4th, has 6 ft swell, but it’s smaller and weaker. By Wednesday, August 5th, the swell drops to 4 ft, and the wind finally goes light onshore from the SW at 3 mph in the morning. That’s a rare moment of glassy conditions, but the waves are small. The rest of the week into the second week is a slow fade. From Thursday, August 6th, through to Friday, August 14th, we’re looking at a lot of days with poor surf. The swell drops down to 2 ft to 3 ft, the period gets long (15 to 19 seconds), and the wind is consistently cross or cross-on. That long-period stuff is tricky at a beach and reef setup like Tarantulas – it can break too straight. The energy readings are mostly in the 300 to 800 range (weak to moderate), so the juice just isn’t there.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing wild.

The main takeaway: if you’re an expert, Monday morning, August 3rd, is your best bet. Big, powerful NW swell, decent period, and near glassy conditions. That’s the one to circle. The rest of the run is mostly marginal or poor, with a few small windows on Wednesday, August 5th, and Monday, August 10th, where the swell bumps back to 5 ft, but the wind is still not perfect.

Stay tuned, folks. It’s a waiting game, but that one morning looks like a proper session.

- Rusty

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