Zud Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gutted, folks. I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a pretty bleak picture for Zud. I’m not going to sugarcoat it—there are no good surf options on the table in this 16-day window. The finder is coming up empty, and the guidance backs that up. Zud is an inconsistent wave at the best of times, and with this forecast, it’s looking like a total blank run. It’s the kind of stretch that’s more normal for this spot than a rare score, so don’t hold your breath for a quick change.

The pattern we’re looking at is a whole lot of nothing. We kick off on Wednesday the 5th with a bit of lumpy, cross-shore junk from the SW at about 4ft, but the energy is weak (83) and the period is a short 5 seconds. It’s messy, and not worth suiting up for. That trend continues through the rest of the first week—a few pulses of knee-high slop, but the wind is all over the place, mostly onshore or cross, and the swell is just too weak and short-period to organize. The water temp is a notable 70°, which is a solid 6° warmer than average for this time of year—that's very unusual, a real standout in an otherwise flat spell.

The second week rolls in with the same story. From the 12th through the 17th, it's tiny—mostly under 2ft—and the wind is a constant problem. You get a few clean-ish mornings with a bit of cross-offshore breeze, but there’s just no swell to push through. The energy readings are pathetic, often in the single digits. It’s the kind of flatness that makes you want to check the kite gear instead of the surfboard, because for paddle surfing, it’s just not happening.

There is a flicker of life right at the end, on Wednesday the 19th. The swell finally pushes up to about 6ft from the W, and the energy jumps to a moderate 267. But here’s the kicker—the period is a weak 6 seconds, and the wind is cross-onshore. It’s going to be a lumpy, choppy, short-period mess. That size is also pushing past the beginner-friendly mark, and with that quality, it’s only going to appeal to the most desperate. It’s not a day I’d be rushing out for, especially with the wind blowing across it like that.

So, the long and short of it is: leave the boards in the car for now. The water’s weirdly warm, but the surf is just not there. These flat spells can’t last forever, and with Zud’s inconsistent nature, the forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about. I’ll be watching, but I wouldn’t be planning any dawn patrols.

Rusty.

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