Tea Break Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a 16-day window, and I’ll be honest with you, it’s a tough stretch. The forecast points to a single spot, Tea Break, but it’s a real story of persistent cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions that just won’t let up.

The overall pattern is dominated by a constant cross-shore wind from the east and east-northeast, which is going to mess up the surface most of the time. The swell is there, but it’s short-period stuff, mostly between 6 and 8 seconds, so it lacks that real punch and shape we look for. It’s a reef break, so it has potential, but the wind is the enemy here.

For the first week, from Thursday, August 6th right through to the middle of the month, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at swell heights flickering between 3ft and 5ft, but the wind is a constant 12 to 19 mph from the east or east-northeast, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The water temperature is sitting at a warm 83°F, which is about normal for this time of year, but you won’t care about the water temp when you’re battling that bump.

The wave energy stays weak to moderate, with numbers like 179 popping up on that first Thursday, and climbing to around 256 by the 13th, but it’s all junk. The wave comment calls it “poor surf conditions” every single session through the 17th. There’s no standout here, no hidden gem. It’s just a grind.

Now, we get a little glimmer of hope on Tuesday, August 18th. The morning session shows a solid 8ft swell from the east with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to a strong 1000. The wave comment upgrades to “marginal” rather than poor. That’s a step up, but the wind is still a cross-shore 12 mph, so it’s not clean. At 8ft, this is getting into expert territory – too big for beginners. The guidance says it’s a “reef” break, so that longer period might actually help shape it up a bit, but the cross-wind will still chop it up. This is the only real standout, but it’s a long way off and the wind is still a problem. The afternoon of the 18th drops back to 8ft and poor conditions.

The rest of the second week, from the 19th to the 21st, we’re back to the same old story: 5ft to 6ft, short period, and always that cross-shore wind. The energy drops back to 184. It’s consistent, but I’m not calling it good. Frankly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, with that much cross-wind and lumpy water, it looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

So, to sum it up: if you’ve got a kite, bring it. If you’re a paddler, the only window that even sniffs of possibilities is the morning of Tuesday, August 18th, but don’t expect perfection. It’s a long wait for a marginal day.

Rusty.

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