Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, signing on with the look ahead for Tubes. Buckle up, because this forecast is a wild ride with some absolute gems hidden in there, but you gotta pick your moments.

Right now, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a solid 8 ft SW swell pushing in with a 28 mph cross-off wind that’s just mangling things. The combined energy is strong (1708), but it’s all for nothing with that wind. Hold tight.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Sunday morning, August 23rd. The wind goes glassy-off from the SW, and it’s gonna be clean. The swell is a chunky 8 ft with an 11-second period, and the energy is pumping (1464). This is solid intermediate territory – anything over 5 ft gets into expert-only water, so keep that in mind. The conditions look very good.

But the standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Tuesday morning, August 25th. This is the pick of the first week. We’re looking at a powerful 10 ft groundswell from the SW with a 14-second period. That’s a very long period, and for a reef-and-point setup like Tubes, that’s going to carve out some proper, lined-up walls. The energy is massive (3139), and the wind is glassy. Dawn patrol is going to be unreal, but this is for experienced surfers only at that size. Expect a few crew out – crowds are possible.

Through the middle of the week it gets messy. Strong onshore winds from the east on the 26th and 27th blow everything out, with a 10 ft swell just getting chopped to bits. We get a brief respite on Friday morning, August 28th, with a glassy 5 ft wave from the S and weaker energy (717). It’ll be clean but small and pretty gutless.

Then we get another big pulse. Sunday, August 30th shows an 12 ft WSW swell hitting the coast. The morning looks clean with a light cross-off breeze and very strong energy (2640). Again, expert territory. The afternoon brings a risk of thunderstorms and onshore wind, so keep it to the morning if you’re brave.

The end of the forecast period holds a nasty surprise for the brave. Friday morning and afternoon, September 4th, is the biggest swell of the entire run. We're talking a 16 ft to 18 ft WSW/SW swell with moderate energy levels hitting 9704 and then 10950. The wind is clean and offshore, making for what looks like a genuine big-wave day. This is not for the faint of heart – expert surfers only, and even then, you’ll need your big-gun board.

Saturday, September 5th sees the swell dropping but still massive at 15 ft. The morning is rideable with light cross-on wind, but the afternoon gets blown out hard by a 25 mph onshore blast.

Overall, Tuesday the 25th is your best early call for a clean, powerful, long-period groundswell. For the big-wave chargers, the 4th of September is the one to circle on the calendar, but it’s two weeks out so keep an eye on it.

The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is a shocking 10°F colder than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’re going to need a thick steamer and maybe some booties.

Rusty.

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