The Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Pines.

First up, this isn't a spot that fires often, and honestly, the first few days of this outlook are a bit of a write-off. The Pines is a rare-breaking reef, so we're already in a tricky spot, and the early part of the period is delivering messy, marginal surf. The water is sitting at 57°F which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

Things start off on Monday the 27th with a 5ft SSW swell, but it's a cross-off breeze and the energy is weak (983). The whole first week is a slow burn. We get a big jump in energy on Tuesday the 28th morning (1727) with a 6ft SW swell, but the wind is sloppy cross-off. By Tuesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft and the combined energy is strong (3926), but it's still cross-off and the surf is messy. Wednesday the 29th sees the biggest swell of the bunch at 13ft (energy of 8483), but it's a strong cross-shore wind, making it a real battle. That's a lot of water for a rarely-breaking reef, and the period is long (16 seconds), so it'll be a heavy, powerful beast – only for the experts, and even then, the wind is a killer.

The first real standout for me is Thursday morning, the 30th. The swell drops to a 8ft SSW groundswell, and the wind goes glassy. That's the magic word. The energy is still solid (2254), and with that long period (13 seconds), the reef should be holding some clean lines. This is the pick of the first week.

The rest of the week is average. Friday the 31st is small and ordinary. Then we get another promising window on Saturday the 1st of August. The afternoon shows a 7ft SSW swell with a very long period (18 seconds) and a moderate offshore wind. The energy is pumping (2800), and it's clean. This is a solid option, but with that 18-second period, it'll be a bit fat and straight, so it's not a slam dunk, but it's a good one.

The second week is a mixed bag. Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are blown out with strong winds and poor conditions. Tuesday the 4th is small. The next real glimmer is on Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell is only 4ft, but the period is a massive 19 seconds, and the energy is moderate (2287). It's a cross-shore wind, so not perfect, but that kind of period on a reef can produce some surprisingly long, lined-up waves.

The best of the whole run, in my book, is Friday the 7th of August. The morning shows a 6ft SSW groundswell with a cross-off breeze and a period of 16 seconds. The energy is solid (1629). Then the afternoon gets glassy, with a 6ft swell and the same 16-second period. That's a window of absolute perfection for a rarely-breaking reef. The winds are light, it's clean, and the swell is solid. If you can get on it, that's the time to be there.

The very end of the outlook, Sunday the 9th of August afternoon, has a 7ft SSW swell with a 17-second period and a moderate offshore wind, energy is strong (2611). That's another promising one, but it's a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

So, to sum it up: The first week is a slow grind, with Thursday the 30th morning being the best of the early action. The real standout is Friday the 7th of August – all day, but especially the glassy afternoon. The Pines doesn't break often, so if it lines up, don't sleep on it.

Rusty.

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