Zero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of marginal surf, with the best chances being small and clean, but nothing that’s gonna get the heart racing. There’s a real gap of poor conditions from the start, and then a week or more of inconsistent, small swell.

The first real option we’ve got is a spot called Zero (point). It’s a beginner-friendly point break, but it rarely breaks, so don’t get your hopes up. It’s exposed to the swell, but it needs a specific direction to work.

Kicking off on Monday, July 20th, the morning is a write-off. We’ve got a 4 ft south swell, but with a 9 mph onshore wind, it’s just messy. The wave energy is weak (346), and the report says poor surf conditions. Not a chance.

Monday afternoon stays poor. The swell drops to 3 ft from the south, still with a cross-shore wind. The energy bumps up a bit (529), but it’s still a “marginal” call.

Tuesday, July 21st brings a little more hope. The morning shows a 4 ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, but it’ll be breaking straight at this beach/point setup. The wind is onshore at 6 mph, and the energy is moderate (740). Still labelled marginal.

The Tuesday afternoon improves. The wind goes cross-offshore from the WNW at 9 mph, and the swell drops to 3 ft from the SSW. The period is still a long 15 seconds. The wave state is clean, but the energy is moderate (551). It’s a small, clean wave for a total beginner, but it’s still a marginal day.

From Wednesday, July 22nd through to Thursday, August 4th, it’s a long slog of “marginal” surf and poor conditions. The swell never really gets above 4 ft, with the best direction being from the SSW or S. The winds are mostly cross-offshore in the afternoons, which keeps things clean, but the wave energy hangs around the 500-900 range – moderate at best. The standouts are the Friday, July 31st afternoon with a 4 ft SSW swell and clean cross-offshore winds (708 energy), and the Saturday, August 1st afternoon with a similar 4 ft SSW swell and clean conditions (566 energy). These are the cleanest, most consistent windows in the whole run, but they’re still small. The swell height is under 5 ft, so it’s fine for everyone, but the long period (13-14 seconds) means the sets will be well-spaced, and the point break might handle it better than a beach break.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first week of August, it’s all downhill. The swell drops to 1 ft to 3 ft, the energy is weak (under 241), and the conditions are poor. On Sunday, August 2nd, the wind picks up to 16 mph cross-offshore, which is just too strong for the tiny 2 ft swell. By Monday, August 3rd, the swell is dead at 1 ft from the SW, and the energy is barely a whisper (70). It’s a flat spell.

So, here’s the bottom line: If you’re desperate for a paddle, the best windows are the Friday afternoon, July 31st and Saturday afternoon, August 1st at Zero. You’ll be looking at a clean, 4-4 ft swell from the SSW with a 13-14 second period and cross-offshore winds. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest we’ve got. Don’t expect much on the other days.

Rusty, signing off.

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