10th Street (Avalon) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut to the chase. The surf is dead flat, the energy is nothing, and the conditions are poor. There’s no standout session, no hidden gem, and no reason to grab your board. We’re looking at a 16-day run of tiny, messy waves with a combined swell energy that barely gets a pulse. The best of a bad bunch is a fleeting moment of glassy wind, but even then, the swell is barely a ripple.

Let’s start with the only spot on the cards: 10th Street (Avalon). First up, the water is sitting at 75° which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so a spring suit or a shorty is all you need. The first real chance to even look at the water is Wednesday 15 July morning, but don’t get excited. We’re looking at a 1ft swell from the SE, with a 9-second period. The wind is a cross-off from the W at 12 mph, which is clean, but the combined swell energy is a measly 20 – that’s a lake ripple. The wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” This pattern repeats through the afternoon with a 25 energy rating.

The next few days are a write-off. Thursday 16 July drops to 0.7ft and 2ft respectively, with a cross-shore wind that messes up the surface. The period dives to 5 seconds on the afternoon, which is just wind chop. Combined energy peaks at 30, but it’s a sloppy mess. Friday 17 July morning is the one moment that’s almost cruel. The wind goes glassy from the NE at 3 mph, and the swell is 0.3ft with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s a groundswell. But at 0.3ft, it’s a flat ocean with a long wait between sets. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. The afternoon brings onshore wind and the same tiny swell.

The weekend is a washout. Saturday 18 July brings light rain and a risk of thunderstorms, with a cross-onshore wind and a combined energy of 35 on the afternoon, but the swell is only 3ft from the SSE with a 4-second period. That’s pure windswell, messy and short. Sunday 19 July is clean with a 16 mph offshore wind, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3ft. The energy is 7. It’s beautiful to look at, but you’re not surfing.

We hit Monday 21 July and there’s a tiny bump. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the S, with a 5-second period. The wind is cross-off from the WNW at 12 mph, and the combined energy hits 43. That’s the highest energy in the whole forecast. But it’s still short-period windswell, and a 3ft wave with that period is dumpy and weak. It’s the “best” of a terrible run, but it’s not good. The break is inconsistent and rarely breaks anyway, so you’re rolling the dice.

After that, it’s back to zero. 22 July has no swell data in the morning (0 energy), and the afternoon is a 1ft onshore mess. The rest of the month limps along with tiny 0.7ft to 2ft swells from the SE, mostly with onshore or cross-onshore winds, and periods that rarely get above 8 seconds. The combined energy flirts with 40-50, but it’s all poor quality. There’s a brief offshore moment on Saturday 25 July afternoon with a 16 mph WNW wind, but the swell is only 0.7ft with a 4-second period. No energy.

So, here’s the bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The area is normally prone to these flat spells, and this is one of them. The water is warm, the wind is sometimes clean, but the swell is absent. If you’ve got a kite, the Saturday 18 July afternoon with a 3ft SSE swell and 12 mph cross-onshore wind might be worth a look, but for paddle surfing, it’s a long, dry stretch. Forecasts can change, but right now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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