Trestles (Lowers) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow grind for most of the window, so patience is going to be your best friend. The water is sitting at a very unusual 74°F – that’s 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year, which is proper tropical feels for a spot that’s usually a bit cooler. Keep that in mind if you’re reaching for the springsuit.

The opening stretch is honestly pretty flat and weak. From Saturday the 15th through to just after the middle of the month, we’re looking at chest-high stuff at absolute best, and the energy is just not there. The combined swell energy starts off around 774 (moderate) but quickly drops down into the low hundreds. Winds are mostly cross-on or straight onshore, which leaves things a little lumpy and uninviting. Not a lot to get excited about.

The tide and the swell are just not lining up. We’ve got these small, short-period pulses from the SSW, but the period is stuck in the 13-16 second range, which is okay, but the size is just too small to make anything worth paddling out for. It’s more of a “sit on the beach and watch the horizon” kind of weekend.

We then roll into a flat spell. The swell height drops off to under 2ft and the energy falls away to the low hundreds. There’s a run of days where it’s just dribble. The winds are light, but that’s about the only positive. You’d be frothing just to get a wave that doesn’t close out. This flatness hangs around for a good chunk of the middle part of the week, from the 19th through the 23rd. It is what it is.

There’s a glimmer on the morning of Monday the 24th. It’s still small, only 2ft, but the wind drops to a slight air and it’s straight on. Cleaner conditions, but still super gutless. Then we get another dip into poor conditions.

Now, let’s talk about the one that might actually be worth circling on the calendar. Late in the window, around Friday the 28th of August, things start to wake up. The swell picks up to 4ft on the Friday afternoon with a 16 second period from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to around 1044 – that’s pushing into strong territory. This is the most significant pulse of the entire forecast. Trestles (Lowers) is a beach and reef setup that’s very consistent and fully exposed to this SW swell. The optimum direction is SW, and this is SSW, so it’s close enough to get the lines wrapping in nicely.

The caveat here is the wind. Both Friday afternoon and Saturday the 29th have moderate cross-onshore winds (15 km/h from the W), which will put a bit of texture on the face. It won’t be glassy, but with that size and period, there’s enough push to make it work. Saturday morning looks a touch cleaner with a lighter 10 km/h WSW wind and the swell holding at 4ft with an 18-second period, which is a long-period groundswell. It’s going to be a bit more lined up, but because it’s a long period, it can sometimes break a bit too straight at a beach break. Still, this is the clear standout of the whole two weeks. Just be aware that crowds are always going to be a thing at Lowers, especially when there’s a pulse.

The water is still running warm, so it’s a summer-weight wetsuit at most. Don’t overthink the flat days in the middle; they’re common for this stretch. But that 28th and 29th? That’s the one you want to be ready for.

Rusty.

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