Tices Sholls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one for our usual spots. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions, but let’s break it down.

The overall pattern is dominated by inconsistent, small, short-period swell and a persistent cross-shore wind that's going to mess up the surface. The first real chance of anything surfable isn't until Friday the 8th of August, so we’ve got a solid week of flat or choppy, ugly waves to sit through.

Starting with the only spot on the radar, Tices Sholls. It’s a sandbar break, beginner-friendly, but it’s exposed to swell from the wrong direction for most of the period. The optimum swell direction is from the SE, but the winds are mostly from the S or SSW, which is cross-shore or cross-onshore here. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

For Friday morning, July 31st, we’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SSE with a short 8-second period and weak energy (65). The wind is glassy from the SSW at 3 mph, so the surface is clean, but the waves are ordinary. It’s surfable but really marginal. The afternoon turns to rubbish with a cross-on southerly breeze picking up to 9 mph, making it choppy.

Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd, are a write-off. The swell stays tiny, below 2ft, and the wind is a messy cross or cross-on. The energy is weak, barely registering in the double digits. Don’t bother.

The whole first week of August is the same story – small, weak, short-period swells, and a persistent cross-shore wind from the SSW. The combined energy creeps up to 118 on Monday the 3rd afternoon, but with a 7-second period and fresh cross-shore wind, it’s going to be lumpy and poor. The swell height is only 4ft, but it’s not clean enough to be fun.

The Standout Window

The best the period has to offer is a narrow window on Saturday morning, August 8th. The swell is still small at 2ft from the south, but the wind finally swings to a light 6 mph cross-offshore from the SW. The combined energy is weak (64), and the period is a short 6 seconds, but the conditions are described as clean. For a sandbar break that’s been hammered by wind, this is your best chance. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes" – expect a few locals out, but it won’t be packed.

After that, it’s back to the struggle. The wind goes cross or cross-on again, and the swell drops away. The energy is weak, the period is short, and the conditions are poor. The last few days of the forecast, from the 12th to the 15th, are a complete no-go with onshore winds and tiny, weak swell.

So, to sum it up: if you’re desperate, sit tight for the morning of August 8th at Tices Sholls. That’s the only clean, surfable moment in a two-week window. Otherwise, the board is staying in the car.

Rusty.

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