Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Third Reef.

We’re looking at a pretty tough stretch ahead. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with small, weak swell and cross or onshore winds mucking things up. The real action, if you can call it that, doesn’t show up until the very end of the outlook. There’s a solid gap of really ordinary conditions from the start all the way through to the start of August.

The first chance of anything decent comes on Wednesday, July 23rd. The morning has a 3ft SSW swell with a period of 14 seconds, so there’s some long-period groundswell in the water, but the wind is onshore from the West. It’s gonna be poor, no doubt about it. The combined energy is moderate (419), but you’ll be battling the wind.

For the next week or so, we’re stuck in a pattern of cross-onshore winds from the NW and moderately strong swell energy. The swell heights hover around the 3ft to 4ft range from the SSW, but the wind is just a nightmare – mostly moderate to fresh breeze, choppy and lumpy. The combined energy dips into the moderate range (597 to 808) which tells you the punch isn’t really there. This is not the time to paddle out unless you’re a glutton for punishment.

Things get a little weird on Friday, August 1st. The swell direction swings to the NW, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds, and the wind is still a fresh cross-onshore. The 6ft morning swell is a bit too much for beginners, and the 4ft afternoon is still messy. Combine that with moderate wave energy (507) and it’s just not coming together.

Now, the one real standout is Sunday, August 2nd. The afternoon session is the only true bright spot in the entire 16-day window. The wind goes glassy – a 3 mph breeze from the WNW – and the swell is a clean 6ft from the NW. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it won’t have the power of a groundswell, but the glassy conditions will make it feel much better than the numbers suggest. The combined energy is moderate (448), but that clean face will be a welcome sight. This is your best bet for a wave that actually holds up.

The following day, Monday, August 3rd, the swell picks up to 8ft from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds. That’s getting into expert-only territory with that size, and the wind is back to a cross-onshore. The combined energy is strong (1198), meaning there’s plenty of water moving, but the conditions will be messy. For the rest of the week, it’s back to the same old story: cross-onshore winds, moderate to strong energy, and poor surf.

In short, mark your calendar for that Sunday afternoon glass-off. Everything else this month is a raw deal.

Rusty.

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