Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and listen up. This is a tricky one. We’re looking at Whale Rock, and to be honest, the next couple of weeks are a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 71°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus.

The outlook starts with a bit of a dud on Friday the 21st. The wind is coming from the ENE at 6 mph, pushing across the wave face, and the swell is a weak 4 ft from the SSW. The combined energy is only 459 (weak), and it’s just not doing anything for us. Nothing to get excited about.

Saturday morning the 22nd is where it gets interesting. We get a window of pure magic. The wind is glassy—dead calm, S at 3 mph, absolutely perfect. The swell is 4 ft from the SSW with a long 14-second period, giving it a bit of punch. The combined energy sits at 590 (moderate). This is the standout of the whole forecast. If you can get out there Saturday morning, you’ll be in for clean, well-shaped waves. It’s an advanced reef break that’s inconsistent, so it won’t be crowded, but you’ll need to be patient for the sets. This is the one.

The rest of the weekend and into the week is a write-off. Saturday afternoon sees a near gale from the SW at 34 mph, with a messy 10 ft SSW swell that has a short period of 7 seconds—more of a washing machine than a wave. Sunday and Monday are both cross-shore and choppy, with weak energy. The surf is poor.

Things start to look a bit more promising around Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th. The swell builds, with a long 15-16 second period from the SSW and S, and the combined energy jumps into the strong range (919 on Tuesday morning, 1035 on Tuesday afternoon, and a massive 1713 on Wednesday morning). The problem is the wind. It’s cross-onshore, starting light but getting stronger, and by Wednesday afternoon it’s a 16 mph ENE, making it choppy and messy. For a reef break, you need clean conditions, and you won’t get them here. The size gets up to 8 ft, which is expert territory, but the wind wrecks it.

Thursday the 27th is a total no-go with fresh to strong onshore winds and lumpy, messy surf. The energy is massive (3774 Thursday morning), but it’s all for nothing.

Finally, we get another brief window on Friday the 28th. The afternoon looks good. The wind swings to the SW at 6 mph, becoming cross-offshore, and the swell is 5 ft from the S with a 13-second period. The combined energy is 658 (moderate). The conditions are clean, and it’s another chance for a decent wave. It’s not as perfect as the Saturday morning glass-off, but it’s worth a look if you missed the main event.

After that, it’s a slow fade. The surf drops off through the end of August and into the first week of September. The swell direction gets weird, the periods get short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the ENE. The energy stays low (mostly under 300), and the waves are poor. There’s a small window of clean surf on the 30th, but it’s with a fresh 19-25 mph SW wind, which makes the 8-8 ft swell a bit of a handful for paddle surfing. It might be more of a kite day.

So, the bottom line: Saturday morning the 22nd is your best bet. It’s the only true glass-off with a solid, long-period swell. Friday afternoon the 28th is the backup. After that, you’re waiting for a change in the pattern.

Rusty.

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