Tarpits Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. The surf outlook for this area is pretty grim over the next 16 days. Tarpits has some very small, low‑energy swell, but it’s consistently paired with poor conditions. It’s a long stretch with no real quality waves — a classic dry run. Nothing stands out as a winner.

Starting Friday afternoon, 14 August. Tarpits (a beach and reef set‑up) sees a tiny 0.4‑ft swell from the SSW, with a very long 18‑second period. The combined energy is weak at 225, and a cross‑onshore breeze at 9 mph leaves it choppy. Water temp is 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year — feels like a bathtub. But the surf is poor, not worth paddling out.

Saturday 15 August through Sunday 16 August: still tiny. Swell stays under 2 ft, periods 15‑16 seconds, winds onshore or cross‑onshore at 6‑9 mph. Energy stays low (155‑246). Clean enough maybe, but waves are weak and flat.

Monday 17 August to Thursday 20 August: same story. Swell height barely 2 ft, periods drop to 14‑16 seconds, energy between 139 and 242. Winds light and mostly onshore — no push, just ankle‑high slop.

Friday 21 August: a slight shift — 0.7‑ft (2‑ft) swell from the W, period only 10 seconds, energy down to 164 in the morning, then 120. Still poor.

Saturday 22 August to Sunday 23 August: the smallest swell of the whole run — just 0.3‑ft (1 ft) from the SSW, periods 13‑16 seconds, energy as low as 74 on Saturday morning. Sunday afternoon sees a spike to 1‑ft (4‑ft) from the W, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds — short‑period windswell with low energy (194). No good.

Monday 24 August: back to 0.4‑ft (1‑ft) SSW swell, 14‑second period, energy 155‑195. Still poor.

Then Tuesday 25 August through Saturday 29 August: the swell pushes up — 0.9‑ft to 1‑ft (3‑5‑ft) from the S or SSW, periods mostly 12‑19 seconds, and combined energy jumps to moderate or strong levels (294‑583). On paper, that’s a bigger pulse. But every session is marked marginal or poor surf conditions. Winds stay light and often onshore, with questionable tide conditions. For a beach and reef break that ideally wants SW swell, the direction is close but the quality isn’t there. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing — light onshore breezes and that bump of swell suit a kite, not a surfboard.

Bottom line: this region is flat and poor. No standout days. The only faint hope is the bigger energy around 25‑29 August, but with poor conditions it’s a gamble. Crowds at Tarpits are sometimes around, but nobody will be out.

Your best bet is to wait. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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