The Inlet and Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for The Inlet and Pier. We've got a long stretch of tiny, messy surf ahead, but there are one or two flickers of life way down the line that might just be worth keeping an eye on.

The first real chance of anything rideable doesn't come around until Wednesday, August 19th, and even that's a marginal call. We're looking at a small 3ft SE swell with a period around 11 seconds. The wind is gonna be cross-shore, so it won't be glassy, but it's something. The energy is moderate at 233 in the morning. It’s not a day to get excited about, but you might find a cleanish one if you're desperate. It’s the first day in this whole run that isn't an outright zero.

Before that, it's a write-off. Thursday the 13th has ankle-biters of 0.3ft with light offshores – makes for a pretty lake, but there's no push. The weekend is similar, just small and confused, with onshore winds killing any hope. There's a bit of a bump on Sunday the 16th with 4ft, but it's getting blown around by a fresh cross-shore wind, so it'll be lumpy. From Monday the 17th through Tuesday the 18th, we're back to flatness with combined energy readings in the single digits and teens.

The following week doesn't offer much hope either. We get a couple of days with 1ft to 2ft swells, but the wind is mostly on or cross-shore, and the periods are short. It's not worth paddling out for. A few days are clean, but with almost no swell, you'd just be sitting there bobbing around. There is, however, one stand-out period, but it's a long way off.

On Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th, the swell finally shows up. We're looking at a building swell from the ENE/E, pushing 5ft to 6ft on the 27th, with the energy jumping right up to 277 in the afternoon. That's the most powerful swell of the whole forecast. The period is short though, around 6-7 seconds, which means it'll be a windswell – not the cleanest thing in the world. The wind is forecast onshore for those days too, which isn't ideal, but that push is real. It's over 5ft, so it's not for the beginners, and you'll need your wits about you. It's a long way out, so I wouldn't book the time off work yet, but it's the only time in the next two weeks where we might get some proper waves. You might want to check if the kites are flying on those days, 'cause a beach break with onshore wind and a short-period swell often sets up better for them.

One thing to keep in mind: the water temps are running much warmer than normal for this time of year at 80° when that first surf hope appears on the 19th. It's a solid 4° above average, so you can probably ditch the wetsuit.

So, overall, this is a bleak outlook. A long, flat, and messy run until that possible pulse at the very end of the month. Stay hopeful, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

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