Windmills Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf conditions that starts now and doesn’t let up for a good while. The first real chance of anything even surfable doesn’t roll in until Tuesday the 28th of July, and even that’s a marginal call. So, we’re staring down about a week-long gap of nothing to write home about.

The main break on the radar is Windmills, a reef setup for the advanced crew. It’s fairly consistent but it’s been hammered by a persistent cross-shore wind from the ENE. We’re talking 15 to 22 mph winds for days on end, which has just been chopping the surface to bits. The swell has been hanging around the 4 ft to 6 ft range, but it’s short-period windswell (5 to 8 seconds), so there’s no real punch or shape to it. The combined wave energy has been weak to moderate, hitting a max of 385 (moderate) on the 25th, but the wind just ruins it.

The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is basically normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick suit.

We do get a bit of a tease on Tuesday the 28th of July. A new groundswell pushes in from the ENE with a solid 13-second period, giving it some real long-period energy. The combined energy jumps up to 879 (strong), which is the biggest number we’ve seen. The swell height is around 5 ft to 5 ft. Now, the catch is the wind. Tuesday morning is a cross-onshore breeze from the NNE at 9 mph, which is choppy and marginal. The afternoon stays cross-shore from the NE at 15 mph. It’s not clean, but compared to the garbage before it, it’s the best on offer. The swell direction is ENE, which is a bit off the optimum NNW direction for Windmills, so it won’t be firing perfectly, but with that long period, the reef should still produce some proper waves. Just be ready for crowds here – this spot is often packed.

The next faint glimmer shows up on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning brings a glassy window with a light SSE breeze at just 3 mph. The swell drops to 4 ft from the NE with a 9-second period, and the energy is down to 219 (moderate). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. That clean, glassy condition is a major positive, so if you’re desperate, that’s your window for a clean, small wave session.

After that, it’s back to the same old story: cross-shore winds and poor surf all the way through to the end of the forecast period on August 3rd. The swell stays small and weak, and the wind doesn’t let up. For a spot that’s fairly consistent, this is a proper dry spell, but it won’t stay this way forever – forecasts can change. If the wind ever swings offshore, this place could wake up. For now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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