White Crest Beach (Wellfleet) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the Cape Cod surf scene.

Honestly, the next 16 days are looking like a bit of a drought for any proper waves. The forecast is a long, drawn-out stretch of knee-high slop and junky conditions. The wind is mostly a problem, and the swell is weak. There’s a one-day spike in size that’s a real head-scratcher, but for the most part, we’re just waiting for a solid window that never fully comes together.

The action starts on Wednesday 22 July with a tiny 3 ft SW wind swell out of the SE at 8 seconds. The energy is weak (95). The southwesterly is a strong offshore breeze at 25 mph, which sounds good for a clean face, but with a short period like that and the wind cranking, it’s a tough paddle with zero push. It’s a beginner spot, but honestly, this is more of a trudge than a surf.

The rest of this first week is pretty grim. Thursday 23 July sees a bit more energy (122) but the wind is swinging nasty, making for a choppy, cross-shore mess. Friday 24 July is similar, just smaller. By Saturday 25 July, we’ve got onshore wind with a 3 ft windswell that’s only 5 seconds – that’s just whitewash. Sunday 26 July through to Tuesday 29 July is a mix of light winds and tiny surf, but the energy is limp, rarely breaking 100.

The one real standout is Tuesday 28 July. That morning, the models are showing a big jump to 8 ft from the SSE at a short 6 seconds. The energy is strong (424). The wind is cross-offshore at 12 mph, which should keep it clean. Here’s the catch: that’s a lot of water moving for a beach break, and the file says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. At 8 ft, this is expert-only territory, even with the short period. The afternoon cleans up with a solid offshore at 16 mph, but the swell drops back to 4 ft. If you’re a very experienced surfer on a big board, the morning could be a wild, powerful session, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The water temp is about 66°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing crazy.

After that, we’re back to the doldrums. From 29 July onward, the size drops below 3 ft for the rest of the run. There are a couple of glassy mornings on 30 July and 31 July, and again on 2 August, but the swell is tiny (2 ft to 3 ft) and the energy is weak. You’ll be scratching for little lines on a longboard. The wind is light, so the surface will be clean, but the lack of push is the main problem.

The second week, from 1 August to 6 August, is just flat. The swell doesn’t even reach 3 ft. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross-shore, but the wave heights are 1 ft to 3 ft. The energy numbers are all in the teens or forties. It’s a longboard-only affair, and even then, you’ll be working for a ride.

In short: The only day that has any real size is 28 July, and it’s a dangerous, short-period, expert-only swell. The rest of the 16 days is a quiet spell with tiny, weak waves. If you’re a beginner, the 30 July and 31 July glassy mornings might give you a safe, clean place to practice, but don’t expect any barrels. The forecast is reliable for the near term, and that near term is just flat. Long-range, the 28 July spike is a promising but uncertain call.

Rusty.

Read more