The Pass Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what The Pass has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few windows that’ll get the heart pumping.

First off, this is a consistent, beginner-friendly point break that’s fairly exposed to the swell and picks up waves best from an east-northeast direction. Right now, things are looking pretty average. We’ve got some low-energy waves on the way, but the quality is poor for the start. It’s not until Monday, July 6th, that things start to get interesting, and by interesting, I mean big and a bit messy.

Monday, July 6th sees a serious ramp-up in size. We’re talking waves around 10 feet from the SSE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is strong, hitting 1565, so there’s plenty of push. But the wind is a fresh cross-off, which keeps the surface clean. This is expert territory at 10 feet and only gets bigger. If you’re an experienced surfer looking for a challenge, this is your window, but beginners need to sit this one out.

The swell holds through Tuesday, July 7th, and actually gets a little better. Still a solid 11-12 feet from the SSE, but the period lengthens to 11 seconds, packing way more punch (combined energy is 2811). Those long-period SSE swells can sometimes race a bit straight at a point, but the clean cross-off wind should keep things lined up for a proper ride.

The real standout for me, the one I’d mark on my calendar, is Friday afternoon, July 10th into Saturday morning, July 11th. On Friday afternoon, the swell drops to a more user-friendly 6-7 feet from the SSE, still with decent 10-second period and moderate energy (823). The wind turns light and cross-off, making for clean waves. That’s a good session.

Then Saturday morning, July 11th, is the gem. We get a 5-foot swell from the SSE and the wind goes glassy – WNW at just 3 mph. That is a magic window for The Pass. The water temperature will feel about average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit. With crowds noted as “often”, expect some company, but for a clean, 5-foot morning, it’ll be worth jostling for a few.

After that, the surf fades out. We drop below 3 feet by Sunday and into the following week. There’s a long quiet spell from about July 12th through the 15th, with barely enough energy to paddle for. The energy dips as low as 5, so don’t bother.

We get a tiny pulse of longer-period swell around July 17th and 18th, with 2- to 4.5-foot waves and periods from 13 to even 19 seconds. But the wind turns onshore, making it choppy and poor. It’s not worth the drive.

So, to sum it up: your best bets are the big, expert-only days on Monday and Tuesday (July 6-7) if you’ve got the skills, or the clean, fun-size window on Saturday, July 11th for everyone else. The long-range stuff in the second week just doesn’t have the quality to get excited about.

Stay stoked.

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