Trapdoors Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Trapdoors is the only spot in the picture for the next 16 days. It’s a point and river setup, so it’s got that long right-hand feel, but it’s not going to be a walk in the park. The water’s sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to fuss about with the wetsuit.

The first week is a bit of a grind. We’ve got a pulse of swell kicking in from Thursday the 16th, but the wind is a messy cross-off from the south, and the swell is a bit short period. Thursday morning is 8ft of SSE swell at 8 seconds with 16 mph winds, and the combined energy is moderate (946). The guide says it’s marginal, and I’d agree – it’s workable but not pretty. Friday drops a little to 8ft from the SE, still short period, and the wind stays cross-off. It’s clean but not giving you much to get excited about.

Saturday the 18th is where it starts to get a bit more interesting, but it’s still a battle. The swell bumps up to 10ft from the SE, and the period pushes to 10 seconds by the afternoon. The energy jumps to strong (1682), but it’s still cross-off wind and the guide is only giving it a 2. That’s a powerful wave, but with that size and direction, it’s going to be a bit of a wall. For beginners, 10ft is too big, and even for the advanced crew, it’s going to be a handful.

The standout looks to be Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st. Monday morning has 7ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, but the wind drops to a gentle 9 mph cross-off, and the energy is moderate (932). By Monday afternoon, the swell drops to 6ft, and the guide says “expect very good surf conditions”. Tuesday morning is the pick of the bunch: 5ft from the east at 10 seconds, with only 3 mph cross-off wind and a glassy feel. The energy is moderate (529) but the conditions are clean. That’s the window to go for it. The swell direction (E) is a good match for the optimum SE, so it should line up nicely.

After that, it fades. Wednesday the 22nd has a cross-on wind and poor surf, and the rest of the week drops into the 2ft to 3ft range with short period and messy wind. There’s a long gap from Wednesday the 22nd until the end of the month with no real recommendations.

Then, on the 26th and 27th, there’s a tiny pulse of long-period groundswell. Sunday the 26th morning has 2ft from the SSE with a 18-second period, and the wind is light offshore. The energy is low (286), but it’s a clean, gentle offshore. That’s a proper groundswell, but it’s small. Monday the 27th morning is similar: 2ft from the S at 13 seconds with gentle offshore. For a point break, that long period is a good thing – it’ll hold up and give you a long ride. But it’s tiny, so you’re looking at a log or a longboard. The crowds at Trapdoors are “sometimes”, so you might have a few others out, but it won’t be a circus.

The 30th and 31st see a bit of a bump. The 30th afternoon has 5ft from the SSE at 10 seconds with a light cross-off wind, and the guide says “expect good surf conditions”. The 31st morning has 6ft from the south at 9 seconds, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph, so it’ll be clean but windy. That’s a later window, but it’s a bit of a gamble this far out.

Overall, the best bet is the Tuesday the 21st morning session. It’s clean, the swell is a decent size, and the wind is light. After that, the long-period groundswell on the 26th and 27th is a nice little bonus for the longboard crew. Stay patient.

Rusty

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