Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what we’ve got on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough stretch ahead for anyone looking to get wet. The overall pattern is pretty bleak, with the best waves likely being small and heavily compromised by the wind. We’re looking at a long gap of poor to marginal conditions before anything even starts to look half-decent way out.

There isn’t a single standout session that I’d get excited about. The only break on the menu is Whale Rock. It’s an exposed reef setup, but it’s inconsistent and only for advanced surfers. That alone should tell you the pickings are slim.

We start with a couple of sessions that are just barely on the radar. On Tuesday morning, August 25th, there’s a 5-foot swell from the SSW with a long 15-second period, but the wind is a 9 mph cross-shore from the SSW, creating some chop. The combined energy is moderate (966). That afternoon the wind picks up to 12 mph, making things worse. It’s just not worth the drive.

Wednesday, August 26th sees the swell bumping up to 7 feet from the S with a 17-second period, but that cross-onshore wind (9 mph) is already killing it. The energy is building (2448), but the surface is choppy. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the East at 16 mph, the swell hits 10 feet, and the place is a complete mess. At that size and with that much wind, it’s a no-go for paddle surfing – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday, August 27th is outright blown out with 25-31 mph cross-onshore winds and messy, lumpy conditions. Then we hit a long, dry spell. From Friday, August 28th all the way through to Monday, September 8th, the surf is either too small, too windy, or just plain ugly. Days go by with wave heights under 3 feet and combined energy dropping into the low hundreds or even double digits. The wind is relentless from the NE quarter, chopping up anything that might have form.

Finally, a tiny glimmer appears on the far end. On Tuesday morning, September 8th, we get a light north-northeast cross-shore wind at just 3 mph, with a 3-foot swell from the SSE. The period is 12 seconds, so there’s some shape potential, but the energy is weak (232). The water temp is sitting around 70°F, which is only a touch warmer than average for this time of year. A very long shot for a clean, small-wave session, but it’s the only time in 16 days the wind really drops off.

The rest of that second week into September 9th fizzles out with tiny, blown-out leftovers. We get a few days of clean but near-flat conditions, which sums up this whole outlook. Sometimes it just runs this dry, and this is one of those times.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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