Airport Lefts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at the surf on the horizon for the next couple of weeks.

It’s a tricky run ahead, no doubt. We’ve got a solid base of swell pulsing in from the deep south, coming from the SSW direction mostly, but the wind is a persistent problem. We’re looking at a long stretch of cross-offshore winds, which are keeping things clean but not ideal. The real standout won’t come until the very end of the month, so we’ll need to be patient.

The first real chance to get wet is Monday afternoon, the 20th of July, at Airport Lefts. The swell is solid at 7 ft from the SSW with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s packing a strong punch with combined energy of 2321. The water temp is 81°, which is just about average for this time of year. The catch is that cross-offshore wind at 19 mph from the SE, and the combo of a shallow reef and a long period like that can make things a bit tricky and a bit too big for beginners. It’s a spot that’s inconsistent, so it’s a bonus it’s even showing.

Tuesday, the 21st, and Wednesday, the 22nd, see the swell dropping back to 6 ft and 4 ft, and the wind stays stubbornly cross-offshore. The energy levels drop too, down to 1337 and then 748. It’s surfable, but the south-southwest direction is the optimum for this break, so you’re getting the right angle. The period is still good, 14 seconds, which means there’s some shape, but the winds are a buzzkill.

There’s a real gap in quality from Thursday the 23rd through to the morning of the 27th of July. The swell drops into the 3 ft to 5 ft range, and while the wind occasionally turns offshore, it’s very short-period SE windswell, hardly any energy. Don’t get your hopes up for those days.

Now, the first real standout arrives on the morning of Monday the 27th of July. The wind shifts to offshore from the E at 19 mph, which is a huge plus. The swell is 5 ft from the SE with a short period of 8 seconds, so it’s a bit of a windswell bump, but the offshore wind will groom it. Combined energy is a modest 456, so it’s not a powerhouse, but it’s clean.

The best bet of the whole outlook, and the one I’m genuinely excited about, is the afternoon of Thursday the 30th of July. The swell builds to 5 ft from the SSW, with a period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is a very strong 1615. The wind goes offshore from the ESE at 12 mph, which means clean, peeling lines. That’s excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The SSW direction is the optimum for this spot, so everything lines up. The period is long, so it’ll be a proper groundswell with good shape and push.

The following days, from the 31st of July through the 4th of August, hold a consistent 5 ft to 6 ft SSW groundswell, with periods hanging around 15 to 18 seconds. The energy is consistently high, between 1259 and 1893. The wind stays cross-offshore, so it’s not perfect, but there will be plenty of size and power. The morning of the 4th of August has a 5 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds with 1581 energy, still cross-offshore, but it’s a solid wave for anyone who’s fit.

The 26th of July is a write-off. That’s a short-period SE windswell with strong cross-off wind and poor surf conditions. Don’t bother.

In summary, the standout windows are the 27th of July morning for a clean, offshore session, and the absolute jewel is the 30th of July afternoon for the best combination of size, direction, and offshore wind. The rest of the run is consistent but held back by the wind. For a break that’s often inconsistent, this is a pretty good run of south swell.

Rusty.

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