Thousand Steps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s see what’s brewing for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at Thousand Steps – a reef break that’s super consistent and open to the southwest. The water temp is 24°, which is a solid 4° above the normal for this time of year, so it’s way warmer than usual. You’ll be fine in a shorty or just boardies.

To be straight with you, the first week and a half is pretty dead. From Sunday, August 2nd, through about Thursday, August 13th, the swell is tiny – mostly 1ft to 2ft, with periods all over the place but often short and weak. The combined energy is mostly in the low to mid hundreds (115 to 330), so it’s weak to moderate at best. Winds are light but mostly onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy. The wave comments are all “poor surf conditions” for that whole stretch. There’s a little flicker on Saturday, August 8th morning where the energy jumps a bit (302) but it’s still only 2ft and cross-on. Not worth getting wet for.

The second week starts to show a little pulse, but it’s still not cooking. Around Friday, August 14th afternoon, the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW with a period of 17 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, meaning better shaped waves and more energy between sets. The combined energy hits 589, which is moderate. Winds are light and onshore, so it’s not clean, but it’s the best we’ve seen. Saturday, August 15th morning holds similar energy (492) with 3ft SSW at 16 seconds, but again the wind is cross-on. Still, if you’re itching, those two days are the standout.

The rest of the window into Sunday, August 16th and Monday, August 17th drops back to 2ft–3ft with cross-on breezes and energy in the 260–360 range. Nothing to write home about.

Best on offer: Honestly, the pick of the bunch is Friday, August 14th afternoon and Saturday, August 15th morning at Thousand Steps. It’s not epic, but it’s the only time we see wave heights near 3ft combined with a long period. The water is warm, and the break is very consistent, so you’ll get waves, just not great ones. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so you might have company.

If you’re a beginner, the swell never gets above 5ft, so it’s safe enough, but the quality is poor. For experts, there’s nothing over 8ft, so it’s not a challenge.

The long-period groundswell (15–19 seconds) that we see on a few days is better suited to a reef like this, so that’s a plus. But the onshore flow kills the shape.

There’s a big gap of poor surf from the start until August 14th. That’s nearly two weeks of slim pickings. After that, it’s marginal at best. Keep an eye on the forecasts, though – it tends not to stay this quiet forever.

Rusty.

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