Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's look at what's coming up for Thousand Steps over the next couple of weeks.

The outlook is a bit of a slow burner. We’ve got small, clean waves kickstarting the period, but it’s really the end of the first week and the beginning of the second where things start to get a bit more interesting, especially for those who like a bit more size. Just a heads up, the water is sitting at a very unusual 71°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the full wetsuit.

We start off on Saturday the 25th of July and through the weekend. It’s small, with the swell around 2ft to 3ft from the SW and SSW. The wind is a light cross-on, so it’s a bit scratchy but not blown out. The wave energy is moderate, around 519 to 745 (combined energy). It’s marginal, but you could find a fun little one if you’re not fussy.

Monday the 27th is more of the same, with the swell just creeping up to 4ft from the SW. Still light cross-on breezes. It’s still pretty marginal.

Now, Tuesday the 28th we see the wind pick up to a gentle breeze from the S at 9 mph, making it choppy and cross-on. The swell is around 3ft to 4ft, but the conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out for.

Wednesday the 29th is more of the same poor, choppy stuff. Give it a miss.

Alright, the tide starts to turn on Thursday the 30th of July. The swell builds to 4ft in the morning and then 6ft from the S by the afternoon, with a long 15-second period. The energy jumps up to a strong 1255 (combined energy). The wind also swings onshore, which is key. It’s still marginal, but the size is there.

Friday the 31st of July looks like the pick of the period. We've got a solid 6ft to 6ft of S swell, with a moderate 14-second period. The wind is light and onshore, which should keep things pretty clean. The wave energy is strong, hitting 1349 (combined energy). This is the standout. The swell is getting up there, over 5ft, so it might be a little much for beginners, but for the intermediates, this is the day to get wet.

Saturday the 1st of August the swell starts to back off a bit, dropping from 5ft to 5ft from the SSW, with the period shortening. Still light onshore winds, so it’ll be clean but smaller.

From Sunday the 2nd of August onward, we see a real drop-off. The swell crumbles down to 1ft by Monday the 3rd and stays in the gutter for the rest of the forecast. The energy levels drop to weak, around 79 to 256 (combined energy). There’s a stretch of many days here with poor to marginal conditions. There’s a little blip around the 7th and 8th of August, with the period getting long again (17-18 seconds) but the swell is still tiny at 1ft to 2ft. The combined energy stays weak. It’s a pretty quiet run, unfortunately.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Friday the 31st of July. The Friday before that, the 30th, is also worth a look. After that, it’s a long stretch of flatness. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

Stay wet,
Rusty

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