The Patch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at The Patch. The water’s sitting at about 58°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus.

Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty quiet. We’re looking at a slow start through Sunday the 19th and into Monday the 20th, with tiny waves around 2ft to 2ft. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, so it’s not blown out, but the energy is just weak (425 to 403). You’re really just getting wet, not really surfing.

Things start to perk up on Tuesday the 21st morning. The swell ticks up to 3ft from the southwest with a solid 15-second period, and we’ve got clean, light cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (430), and it’s the first time the conditions are actually calling for “good surf.” It’s still small, but the shape from that long-period groundswell will be there for the taking.

The real standout window opens up on Friday the 24th. That morning, the swell holds at 2ft but the period jumps to a very long 24 seconds. The combined energy is strong (744), and the wind is a gentle cross-off breeze. This is clean, lined-up swell from the southwest. Even though the height is modest, that long period will push some nice, workable waves into the reef setup. This is the best bet for the first week.

Then we get a serious pulse on the 27th of July, Monday morning. The swell jumps to 8ft from the northwest, but here’s the catch – the period is a short, choppy 9 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving fast, and for a spot like this, that’s expert territory. The energy is through the roof (1861), but it’s going to be a beast. The real highlight of this whole run is Tuesday the 28th morning. Same 8ft of NW swell, but the conditions are flagged as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The wind is a clean cross-off from the northwest, and the energy is maxed out (2090). This is the biggest, most powerful swell of the forecast, and it’s only for the crew who know what they’re doing. If you’re not an expert, stay on the beach and watch.

That big energy lingers into Wednesday the 29th morning with another 8ft (2137), but it’s still a short-period wind swell, so it’s raw and punchy. The wave quality drops off after that, settling back to 6ft on Thursday the 30th and then 4ft by Friday the 31st, with the energy fading (820 down to 547). The setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer during that mid-week peak.

The very end of the run, into August 1st and 2nd, brings a cleaner 3ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, but the winds get a little tricky with cross-onshore components. It’s a mellow finish to a solid, varied forecast.

Rusty out.

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