Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Tunnels. I’ve been looking at the charts, and honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The next few days are going to be a grind, and you’ll need to be patient if you’re set on surfing here.

The water is sitting at 80°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – no weird temperature anomalies to get excited about.

We’re starting with Thursday the 23rd. There’s some swell in the water, but it’s small. We’re looking at waist-high lines around 3 ft coming from the SSW with a very long period of 20 seconds. That long period means the sets will be fat and the gaps between them will be big. The combined energy (759) is moderate, so there’s some push there, but the wind is a stiff cross-offshore from the ENE at 22 mph. It’s clean, but that wind is going to make it harder to hold your line. The quality is marginal at best, and the tide might be working against you.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are a similar story. The swell stays small, around 3 ft to 3 ft, still from the SSW. The period drops a bit, but stays in the 17-19 second range, which is still proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (over 600-700). That ENE wind doesn’t let up, blowing 19-22 mph. It’s cross-off, which keeps the surface clean, but it’s a lot of wind for such small waves. The surf is still only marginal.

Sunday the 26th is where it starts to get a bit weaker. The swell drops to 3 ft to 3 ft, but the period is down to 16 seconds, and the energy starts to fade into the 400s. By the afternoon, it’s looking poor. Monday the 27th, the swell is even smaller, around 3 ft, period dropping to 15 seconds, and the energy is down to 310. The wind is still blowing hard from the ENE. The surf quality is poor.

From Tuesday the 28th onward, the trend is not your friend. We’re looking at several days of small, weak swell. The energy drops from 199 down to as low as 24 by the 4th of August. The swell heights are tiny, mostly 1.0 ft to 2 ft. The period goes from 14 seconds down to 11 seconds, just a weak, short-period swell that won’t do much. The wind stays mostly cross-offshore from the ENE or NE, but it’s still a moderate to fresh breeze (12-19 mph). There’s no real juice in the ocean for a solid paddle-out.

There is a bit of a change on the 5th and 6th of August. We see a slight bump in energy (183 on the 5th, 311 on the 6th) with a longer period (16 seconds) and a little more height (2 ft to 2 ft). The wind even eases a bit, especially on the 6th morning with a gentle breeze (9 mph). The problem is, the surf quality is still listed as poor. The 7th of August also shows a very long period swell (22 seconds) but it’s only 1 ft, and the energy is actually decent (392), but again, the quality is poor. It’s one of those teasing swells that might look good on paper but isn’t going to deliver.

So, the honest truth? There isn’t a single standout day in this 16-day window for Tunnels. The consistent, fresh ENE wind is the main problem, and the swell is just too small and inconsistent to make it worthwhile. You’d be waiting a long time between tiny, wind-affected waves. If you’re a beginner, these small waves are okay, but the wind is a hassle. For an intermediate or above, it’s going to be a frustrating session. You’re better off waiting for a change in the forecast. This is a classic case of ‘the forecast looks poor, so it’s more normal for the area to have a blank run like this.’ Don’t lose hope, it won’t stay this way forever.

Rusty

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