The Wedge Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our local patch. There’s a bit of a story to tell, but it’s not the kind that gets you frothing right away. We’ve got a real slow start, but there’s a glimmer of hope way out there.

The whole 16-day window kicks off with a whole lot of nothing good. From Saturday the 15th of August all the way through to the end of the month, the wave energy is just... there. It’s not surfable in any meaningful way. The first few days are a write-off, with poor conditions and winds that just won’t play nice. The Wedge (our only break in the running) is a breakwater setup, and it’s facing a fairly exposed window to the SSW. The problem is, the swell is tiny, and the wind is never truly offshore. It’s mostly cross or cross-on, which just messes up what little shape there is. We’re talking about swell heights of 1 ft to 3 ft, with periods mostly between 13 and 16 seconds. That’s a long period, which is usually a good sign for a point or reef, but at a breakwater like The Wedge with that weak energy, it’s just not enough.

The combined energy of all swells directed here starts at 602 on Saturday the 15th, which is moderate, but it’s paired with a “poor surf conditions” call. The water temp is 71° F with a 4° F anomaly, making it much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice touch for the skin, but it doesn’t help the waves.

There’s a long, dry gap. Day after day, the scores are a flat zero or a one. The wind is light, sometimes cross-shore, but the swell is just too small and the conditions are marginal at best. The consistency is “fairly consistent” at The Wedge, which means it on paper, but it’s consistently small and messy. For a spot like this, a blank run like this is more normal than you’d hope.

Now, the only real standout—and I mean the *only* one—is way out there. Look at Saturday the 29th of August. Early morning, we’ve got a 3 ft SSW swell with an 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 777, which is a solid moderate push. The wind is light and cross-on from the SW, which is not perfect, but it’s light. The report says “marginal surf forecast,” but that’s the best we’ve got by a long shot. The swell direction is SSW, which matches the optimum direction for The Wedge. Still, the size is small, and that long period at a breakwater can be a bit tricky. It’s a promising call, but it’s so far out there that you have to take it with a grain of salt. The Saturday afternoon to the 30th of August looks to drop off again with onshore winds.

So, for the next week, you can leave the boards in the car. The second week gets a little more interesting, but it’s a gamble. That Saturday the 29th morning is the one to keep an eye on. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only real pulse we’ve got.

Rusty.

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