Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about the surf.

Okay, so this stretch at Thousand Steps is a bit of a slow burn. It's a reef break, super consistent, but the next few days are a little messy. The water's about 71°F right now, which is a good 4°F warmer than usual – feels like a warm bath. For the first few days, the swell is around 3ft, but the wind is mostly cross-on from the south or southwest. The period is long, around 17 to 19 seconds, so it's real groundswell, but that cross-on breeze is messing with the surface. The combined energy is moderate.

Things start to get a bit more interesting around Thursday, July 30th. The swell builds to about 5ft in the afternoon from the south, with a period of 14 seconds. The wind goes direct onshore in the afternoon, but the energy is solid. Friday, July 31st is the clear standout. The morning sees a 6ft south swell, period still 14 seconds, and the wind is actually blowing straight onshore from the SSW at just 6 mph. That's clean, manageable wind for a reef, and the energy is strong. That's the best you're going to get. The waves will have some real punch, but at 6ft on a reef, it's for the more experienced crew. It could get a little busy, so keep an eye out.

After that, it drops off fast. Saturday, August 1st sees some 5ft waves, but then it fades. From Sunday, August 2nd onward, we're looking at a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell drops below 3ft, and most days the energy is weak. The wave comment reads "poor surf conditions" for a solid week and a half. There's a 21-second blip on August 6th, but the swell height is only 1ft – it's a dud. Basically, from August 2nd all the way through to August 10th, it's flat or close to it. That's a nine-day gap with nothing worth paddling for.

So, the bottom line: if you want the best of this window, you’re looking at Thursday, July 30th, but Friday, July 31st morning is the real winner. After that, you might as well stay home.

Rusty.

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