Trapdoors Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a slow burner with a late, sneaky pulse.

The calendar kicks off with a solid, but tricky, runner right off the bat. The main event looks to be a real standout window that arrives on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd of August, with another very raw, almost wild card, option popping up way down the line on the 15th of August.

We start the whole period on Friday morning, the 31st of July, and it’s a serious one for the crew at Trapdoors. We’ve got a 6ft groundswell from the south, with a very long period (12 seconds) pushing in. The combined energy of all swells is pumping at 1178 (moderate wave energy), so there’s plenty of grunt. The wind is a light offshore from the SSW, clean as a whistle. This is advanced territory only—the size is pushing into expert-only realms, and a long period S swell at a point/river break like this means it’ll be lumpy and powerful. The water temp is 67°F, which is about average for this time of year. This is the best quality on offer, but it’s for the experienced crew only. Crowds are possible here.

By Friday afternoon, that swell backs off a touch to 5ft, but the wind swings cross-offshore from the SSE, and the quality drops right off. The forecast goes marginal.

Saturday the 1st of August isn’t much better. Morning is a cross-off wind with a 5ft swell, but it’s short period (9 seconds) and the call is marginal. Rain showers in the afternoon don’t help.

Now, here’s the standout window. Sunday, the 2nd of August, morning is the real deal. The swell drops to a clean 5ft from the SE, but the period is a decent 9 seconds. The big winner here is the wind: a light offshore from the SSW at just 3 mph. The combined energy is 585 (moderate wave energy). The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions." This is the pick of the bunch for the whole run. It’s still a bit too big for total beginners at 5ft, but it’s right in the sweet spot for most intermediates. The wind is almost glassy. Crowds are possible, but with this quality, it’s worth it. The afternoon flips to a cross-on breeze, so stick to the morning.

Monday the 3rd of August has a smaller 4ft swell, but the wind is cross-on in the morning and onshore by the afternoon. It’s a write-off.

From Tuesday the 4th through to the 10th of August, we hit a dry spell. The swell drops to below 3ft, and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore. There’s a few brief glassy moments with tiny 2ft to 3ft waves, but it’s ordinary surf. The energy is low (between 45 and 181). Tuesday the 11th of August offers a little clean-up with a cross-off 3ft wave, but it’s short period, and nothing to get excited about.

Then we get a flicker. Wednesday the 12th of August, morning sees a clean 2ft ESE swell with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 202 (weak wave energy), but the wind is cross-off and light. It’s glassy, clean, and surfable. A tiny window for a longboard or a funboard.

The 13th and 14th are mostly glassy but tiny (2ft to 2ft), with a longer period (11 seconds) that might make the small waves a bit more lined up.

Now, the real late surprise. Saturday the 15th of August, afternoon. The forecast shows a 10ft swell from the SSE, with an 8-second period and a combined energy of 1161 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a light cross-on breeze. This is a massive, raw, short-period storm swell. 10ft is expert-only territory, and at a point/river, it could be a chaotic, closed-out mess. The wind isn’t perfect, but for a big, powerful, and dangerous wave, it’s the only game in town. This is a proper wild card for the brave.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for clean, quality surf is Sunday morning, the 2nd of August at Trapdoors. The biggest, most powerful paddle is the Friday morning, the 31st of July, but that’s for the hardcore crew. And the wild card, for the big-wave hunters, is the afternoon of the 15th of August.

Stay safe, be smart, and pick your sessions.

Rusty.

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