30th Street/Ship Bottom Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The surf forecast for the next 16 days around 30th Street/Ship Bottom is a pretty flat stretch, I’m not gonna lie. The first real recommendation doesn’t show up until Monday the 3rd of August, and even then it’s a marginal call. Before that, this Sunday the 2nd is a write-off: tiny, weak, cross-shore wind, and the water is sitting at 76°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

So, Monday morning the 3rd sees a bit of a pulse. We’ve got a SSE swell running 5ft with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 256 (moderate). The wind is a light, clean cross-off from the SW, so the surf will be clean, but the swell is short period and a little lumpy. It’s a beginner-friendly break, so 5ft is pushing the upper limit but still okay for learning. The afternoon holds similar size at 4ft, still clean, but with a risk of thunderstorms. For a beginner wave, this is about as good as it gets in this window.

The rest of the first week? Tuesday the 4th is onshore junk, dropping to 3ft. Wednesday the 5th through Friday the 7th is all poor, with small swell under 4ft and strong cross-off winds that keep the surface clean but the waves are weak and gutless. The combined energy barely cracks 78 (weak). Not worth paddling out for.

Saturday the 8th morning offers a glimmer: a 3ft SSW swell with a 6-second period, combined energy of 129 (moderate), and a light cross-off breeze from the SW at 6 mph. It’s clean, but the period is short and the size is small. For a beginner spot, this is surfable, but nothing to write home about. The afternoon nosedives again.

Sunday the 9th through Tuesday the 11th stays small and mostly clean, with heights around 2ft to 4ft, but the energy is weak. The highlight – if you can call it that – is Monday the 10th morning with a 3ft swell and moderate energy, but still a 6-second period. The wind is clean, but the waves are weak.

Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th are tiny and poor. Friday the 14th morning has a glassy moment: 0.7ft, wind from the east at 3 mph, glassy conditions. But there’s nothing to ride. The weekend of the 15th and 16th sees a slight bump: 3ft on Saturday afternoon with a cross-shore chop, and 2ft on Sunday morning with clean cross-off wind. Still, it’s weak.

The standout? Honestly, the best call is Monday morning the 3rd of August. 5ft SSE swell, clean, and the break is a beginner-friendly beach break. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only time the swell and wind line up. The rest of the window is a grind. Expect crowds to be possible, as it’s a known spot. For a beginner, this is your window. After that, it’s mostly small and weak, with long gaps of flat days.

Rusty.

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