Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Turtles. A solid, exposed reef break that’s for the advanced crew only. We’ve got a long stretch ahead, so let’s break it down day by day.

The first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. The swell is there, but the wind isn’t always playing nice. We kick off on the morning of Monday, July 6th, with a clean 5ft swell from the WSW, but a moderate cross-off breeze keeps it from being perfect. The energy is moderate (801). Monday afternoon gets messier as the wind swings cross-shore and the swell bumps up to 6ft, but the conditions turn lumpy.

Tuesday, July 7th, brings a bigger pulse. Both morning and afternoon see a solid 8ft swell from the WSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s groundswell, and it’s packing strong energy (2513 and 2624). The challenge is the wind: a moderate cross-off in the morning cleans it up a bit, but it’s still a cross-shore chop. This is expert territory—too big for beginners.

Wednesday, July 8th, morning is where we start to see a glimmer. The swell drops a little to 6ft from the SW, period still a long 15 seconds. The wind is a light breeze from the SE, creating clean, cross-off conditions. Energy is still strong (1597). This is excellent for the experienced surfer. The afternoon, though, turns onshore and choppy, so don’t sleep in.

Thursday, July 9th, morning is another standout. A 7ft WSW groundswell with a 16-second period, pushed by a gentle cross-off breeze. Clean lines, good energy (2109). This is a proper window.

Friday, July 10th, the swell starts to fade. The morning holds at 6ft but a fresh cross-off keeps it cleanish. By the afternoon, the wind is whipping and the waves get lumpy. The energy drops off.

We hit a lull from Saturday, July 11th, through to the end of that weekend. The swell dips to 3ft and the period drops to 12 seconds—weak energy (363). Poor conditions. Not worth paddling out.

The real gem of this forecast is Sunday, July 12th, morning. We’ve got a 8ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. That’s serious energy (3094), and the wind is a fresh offshore from the ESE. Clean, lined-up waves for experts. The afternoon keeps the pulse at 8ft with a 16-second period and a gentle cross-off. Almost as good.

Monday, July 13th, morning holds serve: 6ft SW swell, 16-second period, moderate offshore. Clean and powerful. Another excellent session.

Tuesday, July 14th, morning is also solid. 6ft WSW groundswell, 17-second period, offshore breeze. The afternoon gets glassy with a 16-second period and next to no wind. Perfect conditions for the advanced crew.

The following week starts to taper. From Wednesday, July 15th, the swell slowly backs off. We get a few clean mornings but the energy drops (down to 1177 and below). By Friday, July 17th, though, there’s a moment: the morning goes completely glassy with a 7ft WSW groundswell at 15 seconds. That’s a beautiful thing, but it’s short-lived. The afternoon turns onshore, and from there it gets messy.

The final days from July 18th to the 21st are a mix of fading swell and unfriendly wind. There’s a final little pulse on Tuesday, July 21st, with a 4ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds and a gentle offshore. Expect very good surf, but it’s small. The energy is weak (796).

So, the standout windows are Wednesday, July 8th morning, Thursday, July 9th morning, Sunday, July 12th (all day, but especially morning), and Tuesday, July 14th morning and afternoon. That’s where you’ll find the best mix of size, power, and clean conditions.

Turtles is a fairly consistent reef, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The crowds can be there sometimes. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

Rusty.

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