Addington (South Beach) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s looking good for Addington (South Beach) over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a big pulse of energy hitting. On Friday afternoon, the 24th of July, a solid 10ft swell from the south is pushing in with a period of 10 seconds, so there’s plenty of juice. The combined energy is a massive 2076 – that’s some serious power. But the wind is howling from the SSW at 25 mph, a strong cross-offshore breeze. That’s going to make it a real battle out there, and the report says it’s marginal. If you’re an expert and like it heavy, you might give it a crack, but for most, this is a day to watch from the sand.

The real standout comes on Saturday morning, the 25th. The swell drops to a much more manageable 6ft from the SSE, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind switches to a light 6 mph S breeze, still cross-off, and the wave comment says to expect good surf. The water is sitting at a toasty 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice bonus. This is your window for clean, fun waves without the fight.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th are a total write-off. Onshore winds from the NE trash the surf, and the swell drops and turns weak. The wave energy plummets, and the comments are all saying poor conditions. You’re looking at a couple of days of flat, messy water.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Tuesday the 28th with a 6ft S swell, but it’s short-period (7 seconds) and comes with light rain and a moderate cross-off wind. It’s a marginal call, but it could be okay for a beginner if you’re desperate.

Now, keep your eyes on Wednesday the 29th. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the SSW, but look at that period – 15 seconds! That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy is 1091. The wind is a moderate 12 mph offshore from the SSW, and the wave comment says expect very good surf. The afternoon builds to 6ft from the SSE with lighter winds. This is a long-period swell, which means it’ll be better shaped and have more energy, but at a beach break like Addington, it might break a bit straight on the sets. Still, it’s the best quality on offer in the first week.

Thursday the 30th morning is looking glassy. The wind drops to 3 mph from the SSW, practically calm, with a clean 7ft SE swell at 9 seconds. That’s a beautiful window for clean walls before the wind picks up in the afternoon.

We then hit a long stretch of onshore NE winds from the 1st of August onwards. The swell stays around 7ft for a few days, but the wind is ruining it. The wave energy is moderate (852 to 1025), but the reports are all poor or marginal. After the 4th, the swell fades fast, dropping to under 3ft, and the energy dwindles to around 200-300. This is a dead spell for over a week.

Then, out of the blue, on Saturday the 8th of August, we get a whisper of a long-period SW groundswell (16 seconds). The swell is tiny at 2ft, but the combined energy is still 691, and the wind is a light 9 mph cross-off from the SSW. The report says expect good surf. For a small, clean, long-period runner, that could be a fun little session for a longboard or a fish, but it’s a long way out and the size is really marginal.

The absolute best on offer is clearly the Saturday morning, 25th of July, with that clean 6ft SSE swell and light wind. The second pick is the Wednesday 29th of July for the quality of the long-period groundswell, even if the wind is a bit stronger. Everything else is either blown out or too small.

Rusty.

Read more