Tarpits Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up for Tarpits over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a struggle, to be honest. We’ve got a long dry spell starting out, so don't expect much for a while. The water’s sitting at about 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a little tropical feel to it, even if the surf isn't delivering.

The first few days are basically a write-off. Through to the end of the first week, the swell is tiny, around 2ft to 2ft from the SSW with a nice long period of 16 seconds, but the energy just isn't there (combined energy in the 200s). Winds are light but onshore or cross-onshore, and the reports are all "poor surf conditions." You'd be wasting your time.

We finally see a tiny window on Sunday the 12th of July. The afternoon goes glassy, with a light W breeze at just 3 mph. The swell is still only 2ft from the SSW, period dropping to 14 seconds, and the combined energy is down to 140. The report calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." It’s a glimmer, but it's small. That’s the best we get in the first week – a short, glassy session on tiny waves.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Swell barely pushes 3ft on the 15th, but it’s a short-period 9-second W windswell and cross-onshore again. That pattern of small, poor-quality surf lingers for days. There’s a little bump in the long-range, but we’ve got to wait.

Now, for the one standout – and I do mean the only one worth getting slightly excited about – we have to look out to Sunday the 19th of July. The morning shows a bit more life. Swell lifts to 4ft from the S, period at a solid 15 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 688, which is moderate but the strongest we’ve seen. It’s still a cross-onshore breeze from the SSW at 6 mph, so it won't be pristine, but the report upgrades to "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." For Tarpits, that’s as good as it gets in this forecast. The afternoon holds at 3ft from the S, period 14 seconds, and the wind shifts to light and onshore. This is your best chance for a few proper waves, but don’t expect perfection. The swell direction from the S is a bit off the optimum SW, so it won’t be perfectly groomed.

Everything after the 19th fades again. Swell drops back under 3ft, the energy falls away, and we’re back to the same old cross-onshore or onshore light breezes. The whole second week is lean, with nothing else pushing above that marginal mark.

So, bottom line: a long, quiet start. If you’re desperate, snag that glassy Sunday afternoon on the 12th for a longboard cruise. The true highlight is the morning of Sunday the 19th of July – it’s not a classic, but it’s the biggest and most energetic we get. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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