Sunset Beach Geraldron Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, let’s talk about the same forecast in the old language.

So, for Sunset Beach, we’re looking at a run of southwest groundswell, but the wind is going to be a player. The water is sitting at about 68°F , which is a bit cooler than usual for this time of year.

Saturday the 18th starts a bit sloppy with a light rain and a cross-shore wind from the SSW at 12 mph, making the 8ft WSW swell a bit lumpy. The real deal is the afternoon. The wind swings to the south at 9 mph and goes cross-offshore, the wave height jumps to 10ft from the SW, and the energy is pumping. That’s a big, powerful wave, and at over 8ft, it’s for experts only. This is the best session of the whole forecast.

Sunday the 19th morning is the other diamond. Clear skies, light east wind at 9 mph blowing offshore, giving you a clean, 8ft SW swell with a very long period of 15 seconds. That’s a classic groundswell. It’s still big, so experts only, but the quality is top notch. The afternoon drops to 7ft and the wind goes cross-offshore, still clean.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st see the swell fade. Monday has 5ft SW swell with a 13-second period and a moderate cross-offshore breeze. It’s clean but small. Tuesday morning has a nice offshore wind from the SE at 12 mph, but the swell is only 4ft from the SW.

Wednesday the 22nd afternoon is a good call. The wind is SE at 9 mph and offshore, with a 6ft SW swell at 13 seconds. The energy is decent, and it’s clean for experienced surfers.

Thursday the 23rd afternoon has a light offshore from the ESE, with 5ft SW swell at 14 seconds. Clean, but nothing special.

Friday the 24th is a skip with a cross-shore wind and a weak, small swell.

Saturday the 25th morning is glassy with an ENE wind at 3 mph, but the swell is tiny at 4ft.

Sunday the 26th morning is a surprise. A long-period groundswell of 18 seconds and 4ft from the SW with a light offshore wind. That period is very long, so it might be a bit tricky at the beach. The afternoon sees the swell spike to 7ft with the same 18-second period, but the wind goes cross-offshore.

Monday the 27th morning keeps the energy up with 7ft SW swell at 16 seconds and a cross-offshore wind. Another solid, expert-level day.

After that, from Tuesday the 28th onwards, the quality falls off. The wind gets stronger and more cross-shore, and the swell becomes inconsistent. There’s a spike on Thursday the 30th of 8ft SW swell at 17 seconds, but the wind is a messy cross-shore at 12 mph, making it a choppy, powerful mess.

The first few days of August offer clean, smaller waves in the 4ft to 5ft range with offshore winds, but nothing to get too excited about.

The real standout is the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning of the first weekend. If you’re an experienced surfer, that’s the spot. The crowds are listed as “sometimes” at Sunset Beach, so on a weekend with good swell, expect it to be busy.

Rusty.

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