Tices Sholls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Tices Sholls is a tough one to write. We’re looking at a long, bleak stretch with very little to get excited about.

We start off on Friday, July 31st, with small 2ft SSE swell carrying some weak energy (66). The wind is a cross S breeze at 12 mph, which is just messy. The water is sitting at 75°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But honestly, it’s poor surf conditions right out of the gate. This flat spell drags on through the first weekend and into the start of the week. Saturday and Sunday have tiny waves around 2ft to 3ft, with cross and cross-onshore winds making things choppy and unsurfable. A real blank run.

The first notable change comes on Monday, August 3rd. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SSE, with a moderate energy jump (283). The period is still a short 8 seconds, so it’s lumpy. There’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind is a cross S breeze at 12 mph. It’s still poor conditions, but at least the ocean has some push. The afternoon gets stronger with 6ft S swell and energy hitting 418, but a fresh 19 mph cross wind ruins any chance of clean waves. This is more of a kite session than a paddle session.

Tuesday, August 4th, offers a glimmer. The morning is still cross and lumpy, but by Tuesday afternoon we finally get a clean window. The swell drops to 4ft from the SSE, period is a short 7 seconds, energy is moderate (125), and the wind goes cross-offshore from the SSW at just 9 mph. That’s the best the whole forecast gets. The waves are small and weak, but they’ll be clean. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but don’t expect much power. Crowds are possible here.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Wednesday and Thursday see a mix of cross and fresh winds, with swell around 4ft to 4ft, but the quality is poor. Friday morning, August 7th, the conditions clean up again with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3ft and energy is weak (47). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The rest of the second week is a slow decline. We see a few more clean moments on the 8th, 9th, and 11th, with small swell (2ft to 4ft) and cross-offshore winds, but the energy is consistently low, often under 100. The waves are there, but they’re gutless. By the 12th, the wind shifts to a rare NNE, but the swell is only 2ft. The final days from the 13th to the 15th fade into flatness with swell under 2ft and onshore winds.

Honestly, your best bet is Tuesday afternoon, August 4th. It’s the only time we get a clean, cross-offshore wind with some rideable chest-high swell. The rest of the window is a write-off. As for the water temperature, that 75° reading on the 31st is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts – it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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