Tennis Courts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the solo spot on the menu: Tennis Courts. It’s a solid reef setup, exposed to the south-southeast, and built for the advanced crew. The water’s sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much dead average for late summer, so no surprises there.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real whispers of rideable surf don’t show up until Friday the 21st, but it’s small and marginal. You’re looking at knee-to-waist high stuff at 2 ft out of the southwest, with a long 17-second period. That groundswell energy is weak, about 321, and the morning has a light cross-onshore. Not worth rushing for. The Friday afternoon cleans right up with an offshore breeze, but the size is still tiny. Chances are you’ll be waiting.

Saturday the 22nd is a write-off. The wind pumps up to 22-25 mph out of the east-northeast, and while it’s offshore, the conditions are reported as poor. The combined swell energy jumps to 474-527, but that’s just wind messing with the ocean. No good.

Sunday the 23rd brings more of the same trash wind, but the swell direction flips to the east-northeast with a very short, weak period of 7 seconds. The height bumps to 6 ft, but it’s junky. This is not surfing weather. From Monday the 24th through to the end of August, it’s a long stretch of “marginal” or poor. The wind is relentless, blowing fresh out of the east-northeast every day, and while the surf stays in the 2 ft to 5 ft range, the swell periods are all over the place. Energy levels creep up, hitting 1012 by the 27th, but the caveat is the wind. It’s a grind.

Here’s where it gets interesting, but only for the experts. On Monday the 31st of August, we see a big pulse. Swell height jumps to 10 ft to 12 ft out of the east-northeast, with a moderate 10-11 second period. The combined energy is massive: 2133 to 2882. That’s strong wave energy. This is a legit swell, but the wind is still a solid 19-22 mph cross-offshore. It’s clean, but heavy. At this size, Tennis Courts is an expert-only zone. The wind will hold it open, but you’re going to need your wits about you. The 1st of September sees similar size, but the wind cranks up to near gale force on Tuesday afternoon, so the window is small.

The first few days of September continue with size, dropping from 7 ft down to 5 ft, but the period shortens up. The wind finally backs off a touch on the 3rd and 4th, with lighter breezes, but the swell is a bit junky with periods around 8 seconds. The 5th of September shows a glimmer of hope with a 5 ft swell and a long 12-second period out of the east-northeast, and light winds. Energy is moderate (931). That Saturday morning could be the cleanest pick of the whole run, but it’s still a marginal call on the charts.

Overall, the first week is a battle with the wind. The standout is definitely the 31st of August to the 1st of September for size, but you’ll need to be an expert and pick your moment. The 5th of September looks promising for cleaner, smaller waves if you’re willing to wait.

Rusty.

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