Wye River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here with the story for Wye River. The water temp is about 57° F – nothing unusual for this time of year, so don't worry about a cold shock.

The whole 16-day run is a slow burn. Big, powerful storm swells roll in, but the wind makes them ugly at first. The second half of the first week and into the second week is where the conditions finally line up.

Thursday the 10th starts with a massive 13-foot SW swell, but the cross-onshore wind makes it a choppy mess. The energy is pumping (8039), but it’s not for surfing. Thursday afternoon is even worse.

Friday the 11th stays bumpy. The swell drops to 10 feet, but the cross-onshore wind from the SSW keeps things rough. Move on.

Saturday the 12th is the turning point. The swell is still a solid 10 feet from the SW, but the wind goes light off-shore in the morning from the NE, cleaning things right up. By the afternoon it’s glassy with an 8-foot SW groundswell. That long 15-second period will make for lined-up sets at the river mouth. This is for experienced surfers. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so get there early.

Sunday the 13th keeps it clean with a 6-foot to 5-foot SW swell and moderate off-shore winds from the N. Good quality, but the energy is dropping (1308).

Monday the 14th is small – 4 feet dropping to 3 feet. Clean but marginal. A little breather before the next pulse.

Tuesday the 15th through Wednesday the 16th – big 12-foot SW swells return, but the wind goes cross-onshore from the SW again. It’s choppy and poor. If you want to get wet in those conditions, you’d better be on a kite, not a paddleboard. The energy is over 5000 but it’s ugly.

The absolute standout is Friday the 18th. Saturday morning is already good with a 12-foot SW swell and light off-shore winds. But the afternoon is the big one: a 15-foot SW swell, light off-shore winds from the NW, and combined energy of 9174. This is a serious, heavy groundswell (14-second period) – expert only. That’s the session to plan for.

Saturday the 19th is still solid – a 10-foot SW drop in the morning with clean off-shore winds, easing to 6 feet by the afternoon. Still good.

Then it falls apart. Sunday the 20th through Monday the 21st – tiny swell, on-shore winds, or poor conditions. Not worth a paddle.

Tuesday the 22nd throws a small bone: a 7-foot SW groundswell with a 16-second period, glassy in the afternoon. Clean and workable for the experienced. But it's a brief window.

Wednesday the 23rd is back to marginal with cross-onshore winds and some rain.

Thursday the 24th is a promising long-range call – a 13-foot SSW swell with light cross-offshore winds in the morning. Clean and powerful, expert territory. The energy is 6604. It’s over a week away, so don’t call in sick just yet.

Friday the 25th – the swell drops and the wind goes ugly cross-shore from the east. Game over.

So, get on it Saturday the 12th, but the real one to chase is Friday the 18th afternoon. That’s the heavy hitter.

Rusty.

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