Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got lined up.

The main event is kicking off this Sunday, August 16th, with a solid pulse of SSW swell. This isn’t a long-term, drawn-out run of waves; we get one strong spike and then things taper off into smaller, cleaner, but far less punchy conditions for the rest of the outlook. The first couple of days are the real deal, so don’t sleep on it.

Sunday morning, August 16th, the swell arrives at Tunnels. We’re looking at 8 ft of SSE swell, but the wind is howling out of the SE at 22 mph. That’s offshore, making for clean, groomed faces, but the combined energy is a massive 2038 – that’s a lot of juice. This is a lot of power. The wind eases a touch into the afternoon to 16 mph, and the swell drops to 7 ft. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year. This is a big, powerful, and clean day. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, meaning it’s going to be a bit lumpy and maybe not as lined up as a groundswell, but with that much energy and offshore breezes, it’s going to be a proper grunty, walled-up session. For the experts out there, that morning high tide is going to be critical.

By Monday, August 17th, things change hard. The swell drops to under 3 ft and the wind swings to a cross-offshore from the ENE. The energy levels crash down (419). It’s still clean, but we’re in a lull. This small, clean but low-energy pattern holds through Wednesday, August 20th. The period gets long (14 seconds), but there’s just no size (2 ft-3 ft). The combined energy drops into the double digits (69-71). These are all poor surf conditions - just not enough push.

Then we get a little window of hope. The morning of Thursday, August 21st, is looking glassy. The wind goes dead calm (0 mph) out of the WSW, and we get a 2 ft groundswell from the SW with a period of 17 seconds. The energy bumps up (336). Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd mornings are also glassy or very light, with consistent 2 ft SW swells and a very long 16-second period. The energy is around 330-343. This is prime for a point break or reef setup, as long-period swells tend to hold up well there. Tunnels is a beach break though, so these long-period, small waves might be a bit fat and straight, but if you find a bank, they’ll be perfectly shaped and clean. Crowds are going to be inevitable, as is often the case when the conditions turn this good.

That good window closes Saturday afternoon. From Sunday, August 24th, right through the end of the month, it’s a painful run of small, messy cross-offshore wind. The ENE trades blow 16-22 mph day in and day out. The swell is tiny (1 ft-3 ft), and the combined energy bounces between 100 and 426, but the wind keeps it too bumpy and weak for any real quality. The poor surf conditions run non-stop for a full week. It’s a long dry spell.

So to wrap it up: The standout is undeniably Tunnels this Sunday, August 16th, for that one big, offshore-charged 8 ft swell. If you miss it, your next best bet is the glassy mornings of Thursday 21st through Saturday 23rd, where you’ll find small, clean, long-period bombs that are perfect for a crafty surfer.

Rusty.

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