Thaila Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, so I’ve been staring at this for a while, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a pretty lean run for the next 16 days at Thaila. We’re looking at a full week of nothing really worth paddling out for, just a long stretch of small, messy, and cross-onshore waves. The water’s sitting at 66°F and that’s pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The whole first week, from Friday the 10th through to about Thursday the 16th, it’s all small, wind-affected slop. Swell heights are mostly around 1ft to 3ft, and the wind is just never on our side. It’s a constant cross-on or onshore breeze, so the surface is bumpy and the waves are just not clean. The combined energy is weak, sitting in the low hundreds (371, 323, 350, etc.), which tells you it’s just not got any punch. The period is decent, in the 15-second range for a lot of it, so it’s a proper groundswell, but with the wind and the size, it’s just a tease. There’s a period of 18 seconds and 19 seconds in there, but the swell is tiny (1ft), so it’s not doing anything. This is a reef break, and with that kind of energy, it’s just not breaking.

We do get a bit more size moving into the second week. Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st see a slight bump in energy, with combined energy climbing into the 400s and 500s (520, 475, 421). The swell is still only 2ft to 3ft, but the period holds up around 16 seconds, so there’s potential. The problem is the wind is still cross-on or onshore, so the quality is poor. It’s a bit of a grind.

Now, the one date that actually catches my eye is Saturday the 25th of July. That’s the only real standout in the whole outlook. The swell jumps up to 4ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, coming from the S. The period is 16 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy spikes to 1343, which is a solid moderate energy, and the wind is straight onshore. At 6ft, this is starting to get into the territory where it’s a bit much for a beginner, but for an experienced surfer on a reef like this, it could be fun. The onshore wind is a bummer, but if the tide is right, there might be a window. It’s a long way out, so don’t book the day off work yet, but it’s the only real pulse in the whole 16 days.

So, to be honest, the best bet in this whole 16-day window is that Saturday the 25th of July. Otherwise, it’s a lot of waiting for something that never really shows up. The break is fairly consistent, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see such a flat run, but it happens. The swell direction is mostly SSW, which is the optimum for the break, but the wind just won’t cooperate. I’d say keep an eye on that last weekend, but don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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