Zorba Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s been cookin’ for the next couple weeks.

First up, Zorba. It’s a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot, exposed to the south, with an optimum swell direction from the south. Right now, there’s simply nothing worth paddling out for. The forecast starts with tiny, weak swell on Tuesday July 28th – just 1ft from the south with a short 10-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 49. That’s barely a ripple. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 54°F, but with light cross-onshore breezes, it’s just messy and poor.

From there, we go through a long, frustrating stretch. Wednesday and Thursday the 29th and 30th bring small, weak swell with poor winds, and the wave state is either choppy, cross-shore, or unknown. The energy stays low, never breaking 100. Friday July 31st has a little more size but still tiny, and the wind is cross-offshore, keeping things clean, but the swell is just too small and weak. Saturday August 1st is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions, even though the energy creeps up to 101.

Sunday August 2nd – still poor. The first real change comes Monday August 3rd. The swell bumps up to 2ft to 3ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 140 in the morning and 178 in the afternoon. That’s moderate energy now, but the wind is cross-shore and the conditions are described as cross-chop, not clean. Still a no-go for a quality session.

Tuesday August 4th sees the swell hitting 3ft to 4ft, with energy peaking at 213 in the afternoon, but the wind is still cross or cross-onshore, keeping it choppy. Wednesday August 5th finally shows some promise. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore wind from the NNE, and the swell is 3ft from the SE. The afternoon gets even better: gentle offshore wind from the north, swell holding at 3ft, and the energy is 149. The conditions are described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – that’s the best we’ve seen, but it’s still only a 1 out of 10 quality. Still, it’s clean and the wind is right.

Thursday August 6th drops back to small, weak surf with cross-shore wind. Friday August 7th morning has a clean offshore wind from the north, and the swell jumps to 4ft from the SSW with a short 6-second period, and energy at 195. Again, classified as surfable but ordinary. The afternoon turns into a strong cross-shore mess with 28 mph winds – forget it.

Saturday August 8th has clean conditions in the morning with a cross-offshore wind, 5ft from the SSW, but the period is still short at 6 seconds, and the energy is 181. The afternoon gets blasted by 28 mph winds again. Sunday August 9th and Monday August 10th see the biggest swell of the forecast: 3ft to 4ft, long-period groundswell from the south with periods of 11 to 13 seconds, and energy climbing from 237 all the way to 475 by Monday afternoon. That’s very strong wave energy. But the wind is onshore or cross-shore, and the conditions are described as lumpy or unknown. The swell is there, but the wind is ruining it.

Tuesday August 11th and Wednesday August 12th still have moderate to strong energy (266 to 369) but the wind is cross-shore or cross-onshore, and the conditions are choppy or lumpy. The swell direction is from the SSE or S, with very long periods of 14 to 16 seconds – that’s groundswell, but it’s being trashed by the wind.

The best on offer: Honestly, there’s no standout session in this whole 16-day window. The cleanest conditions happen on Wednesday August 5th and Friday August 7th mornings, with gentle offshore winds, but the swell is small and short-period. The biggest energy comes around August 10th, but the wind is onshore. If you’re a beginner and just want to get wet, Wednesday August 5th afternoon or Friday August 7th morning are your best shots – clean, small, and manageable. For anyone else, it’s a frustrating wait.

One thing to note: Zorba is a beach break, and with the long-period groundswell showing up around August 10th, it’s going to break straight and close out. Not ideal for a beach setup. The longer period also means longer gaps between sets, so paddling out might be easier, but the waves won’t be good.

So, sorry folks, but this is a tough outlook. The surf just isn’t cooperating. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change. But for now, I’d save your energy.

Rusty.

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