Airport Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

Alright, the only spot on the radar is Airport Lefts, and to be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. This is a reef break that’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t fire all the time, and we’ve got a long stretch of pretty average conditions to start with. The water’s sitting at 81°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.

We kick off on Friday the 17th of July. The swell is around 4ft to 5ft from the SW, with a solid 15 to 16 second period, which is proper groundswell. The energy is strong, with a reading of 1200, but the wind is a cross-off from the ESE. It’s clean, but it’s not a standout. The same goes for Saturday the 18th – morning winds are offshore, which is a good sign, but the swell is still only 5ft from the SW, and the energy dips a bit. It’s surfable, but nothing to get too excited about.

Sunday the 19th stays similar, with a 4ft to 4ft SW swell and a shorter period dropping to 13 seconds. The wind is a fresh cross-off, and the energy is moderate. Monday the 20th sees a bit of a bump – the swell jumps to 7ft from the SSW, with a 17 second period, and the energy cranks up to 2505. That’s a solid pulse, but it’s still a cross-off breeze, and the forecast says marginal conditions. It’s not the best quality, but it’s the most size we’ll see for a while.

From Tuesday the 21st through to the end of the first week, the swell slowly drops back. It’s a consistent 3ft to 6ft from the SSW, with periods around 13 to 14 seconds. The wind stays cross-off. It’s clean, but the energy is moderate to low. This stretch is more about getting a few small waves than anything memorable.

Now, we hit a gap of a few days. From around Thursday the 24th, the swell drops to under 3ft, and the energy is weak. It’s not really worth paddling out for until we get to Saturday the 25th, when the morning shows a bit of offshore wind and a 4ft SSW swell. Still, it’s nothing to write home about.

The real standout shows up on Sunday the 26th. The morning brings a fresh offshore wind from the ESE, and the swell is 5ft, but look at the period – it’s only 8 seconds from the SE. That’s short-period windswell, and the energy is moderate at 695. It’s clean, but it won’t have the power of a groundswell.

After that, we’ve got another quiet stretch until the end of the forecast. The last hurrah is on Friday the 31st of July. The swell jumps to 7ft to 8ft from the SW, with a 18 second period. The energy is massive at 3709. That’s a serious groundswell. But the wind is a cross-off, and it’s a risk of thunderstorms. This is a big swell, over 7ft, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The long period means it’ll have heaps of energy, but on a reef break like this, it could be a bit tricky – it might wall up and break fast. It’s the best on offer, but it’s a week and a half away, so take it with a grain of salt.

Honestly, Airport Lefts is inconsistent, and most of this 16-day window is filled with marginal surf. The standout is that Friday the 31st, but it’s a big, powerful swell that’s not for everyone. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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