Voodoo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’ve been staring at the charts for Voodoo, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. This is a reef break, exposed to the south, and it’s an inconsistent one at that – it doesn’t fire all the time. The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

The next few days are a write-off for any kind of decent session. We’ve got a small window starting Monday, July 27th, with a bit of waist to chest-high swell, 4ft from the south with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (211), but the wind is a light cross-shore so there’s a bit of texture on the surface. It’s surfable but nothing to write home about. Monday afternoon cleans up nicely with a gentle offshore from the NE, but the swell drops to 3ft with a short 8-second period, so it’s small and a bit gutless.

Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th are completely flat with next to no energy, just tiny slop. Not worth paddling out.

Now, Thursday the 30th of July is where it gets interesting, but tricky. The morning shows a solid jump to 7ft from the south, with a moderate period of 9 seconds. The energy is very strong (1077). But it’s a light cross-onshore, so it’ll be lumpy. This is big enough for the advanced crew, but beginners should stay well clear. The afternoon drops a bit to 5ft, still with a cross-onshore wind, keeping it choppy.

Friday the 31st of July morning is the first real tease. You’ve got 7ft from the south with a slightly better 10-second period, and the energy is very strong (1405). The wind is onshore from the SSW though, which will mess up the face. The afternoon looks a bit smaller at 6ft but still onshore.

The next few days (Saturday and Sunday) are small again, in the 3ft to 4ft range. Sunday the 2nd of August actually looks clean with a cross-offshore wind in the morning and a moderate offshore in the afternoon. The swell is from the SSE with a 10-second period, but it’s only waist-high.

After that, from Monday the 3rd of August through to the 7th, it’s a grim run of onshore winds and building, messy swell. There’s a lot of energy but the wind is just going to destroy it for paddle surfing. With the swell getting over 7ft and strong onshore winds, this setup looks way more suited to kite surfing than paddling.

The standout arrives on Saturday the 8th of August. This is a serious swell event. We’re looking at a massive 12ft from the SE, with a long 11-second period. The energy is extreme (2701). The wind is a light cross-onshore in the morning, which is the best we’re going to get for such a big day. This is strictly for experts only, as 12ft is way too big for anyone without serious experience. The long period (11 seconds) is a proper groundswell, so it will have plenty of punch and those longer lulls between sets. Being a reef break, Voodoo should handle this well and offer some proper barrels, but the crowds are possible here, and with a swell this size, it’ll be busy with the crew who can handle it.

Sunday the 9th of August morning is your consolation prize. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7ft from the SE, with the same 11-second period. The energy is high (954). The wind turns cross-offshore from the NW, making for clean waves. This is the best combination of size and clean conditions in the whole outlook. Again, for advanced surfers, but the quality will be there. The afternoon stays clean but drops to 6ft.

After that, the energy fades quickly into the second week, with small, clean waves on Monday the 10th of August (4ft, SE, offshore wind), and then the week ends with strong onshore winds and mess again.

So, if you’re an expert, circle the 8th of August for the biggest, most powerful swell, but expect some wind bump. For the best *quality* waves with clean faces and a solid size, the morning of the 9th of August is your best bet. Everything else is small, windy, or both.

Rusty.

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