The Washout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a hard look at what’s on offer for The Washout over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch.

Right now, through the first half of July, we’re looking at a real flat spell. The water temp is sitting at 84° which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s pumping. The surf is tiny, mostly around 1ft, with short-period, weak energy from the ESE and SE. The numbers are in the low 20s and 60s (combined energy), which is basically nothing. Winds are mostly cross-onshore or onshore, and the wave comments are all “poor surf conditions.” There’s a glassy moment on Saturday morning, the 4th of July, but with only 1ft of weak 9-second swell, it’s not enough to get excited about.

We roll into a gap of several days with the same story – tiny swell, poor quality, and choppy wind. Through Sunday and Monday, it’s all 0.7ft to 3ft with moderate breezes and onshore or cross-shore winds. This is not a time to be in the water.

Now, there is a little flicker of hope mid-week. On Wednesday morning, the 8th of July, we finally see the combined energy nudge up to 113 (moderate energy) with a 3ft S swell and clean, cross-offshore winds from the WSW. That’s a decent combination for this spot – clean conditions and a bit of push. The period is short though, at 6 seconds, so it’s not going to be a classic groundswell, but it’s the best we’ve seen. That morning window is your chance. The crowds at The Washout can be a problem sometimes, so get in early.

The energy drops back again after that, with a few more clean morning windows on the 9th and the 11th of July, but the swell stays in the 2ft to 3ft range. On Saturday the 11th morning, a 3ft S swell with cross-offshore WSW winds will offer a clean, small wave, but the afternoon gets lumpy with a fresh 19 mph cross-shore.

Looking further out into the second week, from the 12th of July right through to the 16th, it’s more of the same: small south-east and south swells, mostly under 3ft, with clean conditions on some mornings. There is a slight bump on Thursday morning the 16th with a 4ft SSW swell and an energy reading of 123 (moderate), but the wind is directly onshore from the ESE, which will trash the shape. Nothing worth planning a session around. The energy stays weak in the 20s and 30s for most of the end of the run.

Honestly, the best on offer is Wednesday morning the 8th of July. That’s your standout – a clean morning with a modest S swell and the only real moderate energy in the whole forecast. It’s not big, but it’s your best shot. After that, we’re back into a long, flat, and choppy run. If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoon on the 11th with that 19 mph SW wind and lumpy cross-shore might be more interesting than paddling out. For the rest of us, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

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