30th Street/Ship Bottom Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at the charts and it’s a pretty grim stretch for the wave-starved among us. For the entire 16-day window, there’s really nothing that gets the heart pumping. We’ve got a long, dry spell with no proper swell to speak of. The only break on the radar is 30th Street/Ship Bottom, and even that’s barely a whisper. The water is sitting at about 75°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re staring at flat water.

Let’s walk through the days. Starting Sunday the 26th of July, we see a tiny 2ft push from the ESE with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 95 and the wind is a cross-on mess. It’s a no-go. That same flat, choppy theme drags on through Monday and Tuesday with swells under 1ft and cross-shore winds. The only sliver of hope comes on Wednesday the 29th of July afternoon when the wind swings to a light cross-off WNW at 6 mph, cleaning up a 3ft SSE swell. The period is still short at 7 seconds and energy is moderate at 116, but the conditions are “clean.” Don’t get too excited though – the surf quality is still rated as ordinary. It’s the closest thing to a highlight, but it’s barely a sideshow.

Thursday the 30th sees a bump in energy to moderate levels (182 combined energy) with a 4ft NNE swell, but the period is a pathetic 6 seconds and winds are cross with a chop. Not worth paddling out. Friday the 31st through to the weekend of August 1st and 2nd, we’re back to knee-high dribble, mostly under 2ft. The wind does go clean a few times, like on Saturday the 1st of August afternoon with a 16 mph cross-off, but there’s just no power in the water.

The next faint glimmer is on Monday the 3rd of August morning. The wind goes glassy, with a 3ft ESE swell, but the period is a terrible 5 seconds and the energy is low at 82. It’s surfable, but barely. The rest of the first week of August is a write-off – tiny swells, onshore kicks, and cross-chop. The second week of the outlook from the 6th onward is even more depressing. We’re scraping along with 1ft to 2ft swells, all with weak energy values under 85. The wind is often clean, but there’s no swell to use it.

The standout, if you can call it that, is that Wednesday the 29th of July afternoon. The 3ft swell from the SSE with light cross-off wind gives the only clean window, but it’s a short-period, weak energy affair. Don’t expect any power. For beginners, the 1ft to 3ft range is fine, but there’s nothing to ride. The crowds at 30th Street are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company even on these tiny days.

This is a classic summer flat spell for this area. It’s not unusual to see a blank run like this. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on the horizon, but for now, I’d leave the board in the car and maybe find something else to do.

Rusty.

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