Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipeline for us.

The window kicks off on Monday, the 10th of August, with a solid pulse of SW groundswell already in the water. The swell is hitting a very solid 8 ft, with a long 15-second period that tells you there’s plenty of energy out there (3045). This is a proper groundswell, and the direction is right on the money for Turtles. The wind is blowing cross-offshore, which should keep things reasonably clean. It’s an advanced wave, so don't paddle out thinking you’ll find learner waves. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year.

Monday afternoon takes a turn for the worse as the wind swings onshore and the quality drops right out. Forget about those sessions.

Tuesday, the 11th, the wind picks up to a strong 25 mph in the morning, but it stays cross-offshore, so the face will be clean even with that breeze. The swell is still a punchy 7 ft from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds. The ocean has a lot of push behind it (1953). It stays clean in the afternoon, too, with a touch more size at 8 ft and the period stretching out to 16 seconds (3761). It feels like big, powerful waves but the conditions are described as marginal, so it's not all smooth sailing. Tuesday is a day for the experienced crew only.

Wednesday the 12th is a standout for conditions. We’ve got a strong, true offshore wind from the ESE at 25 mph in the morning. The swell holds at 8 ft, 16 seconds from the SW (3136). That strong offshore wind will be glassing up the faces and making for some beautiful barrels, but paddling out will be a battle against the wind. It's a classic case of "the price of admission is high, but the ride is worth it." The afternoon eases off to a 15 mph offshore breeze, making it a bit more user-friendly for the advanced surfer.

Thursday the 13th, the swell backs down a touch to 6 ft, but we still have fresh offshore wind in the morning and clean cross-offshore conditions in the afternoon. Friday the 14th morning is the first real standout of the forecast. The wind is a light 6 mph offshore, the swell is a solid 7 ft, and the period hits a very long 17 seconds (2535). This is the deepest, most powerful groundswell of the run. The conditions are flagged as excellent for experienced surfers, and I can feel the energy just reading the numbers. The crowd factor is "often," so expect company if you snag a wave.

Saturday the 15th morning offers another moment of magic. The wind is barely a whisper from the East at 6 mph, offshore, and the swell is a clean 6 ft with a 15-second period (1325). It should be glassy perfection. Saturday afternoon turns to junk with a cross-onshore wind.

From there, the outlook gets messy. Sunday the 16th has onshore wind and the swell drops to 5 ft. Monday the 17th to Wednesday the 19th sees a big bump in size, hitting 10 ft on the 18th and 19th, but it's accompanied by messy cross-onshore or onshore winds. The power is there (4348 on the 18th morning), but the quality is going to be choppy and blown out. This is kite-surfing territory, not clean paddle-surfing.

Thursday the 20th morning is another highlight to circle on the calendar. We've got a clean cross-offshore wind and a powerful 10 ft swell from the SW (3769). The direction is again perfect for Turtles, and the conditions are called excellent for experienced surfers. This is the biggest, cleanest day of the second week. But remember, that's over a week away, so keep an eye on it – long-range calls are promising but never a lock.

The last few days, from Friday the 21st through Monday the 25th, the swell slowly fades back down to the 5 ft to 7 ft range, with a mix of cross-offshore and cross-onshore winds. The energy drops (under 1500 on most days). It’s a slow finish to the run. The best bet is to focus your energy on the Friday the 14th morning and the Saturday the 15th morning sessions for the cleanest, most powerful waves early on, and keep a weather eye on that Thursday the 20th for a late-in-the-game pulse of big, clean surf.

Rusty.

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