Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Ammonias over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I'm not gonna lie to you – this forecast is a bit of a mixed bag. It's not a write-off, but you're gonna have to be patient and pick your moments. The water temp is sitting at a warm 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a bit of a struggle. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st have some small, short-period windswell coming in from the ENE, around 3 ft to 5 ft, but it's all cross-shore wind and the wave comment says it's marginal. The combined energy is moderate (516 to 612), but it's not going to be pretty. We're looking at a bit of a slow start.

Then we hit a real rough patch from Wednesday the 22nd through to Friday the 24th. The swell gets a bit bigger, with some long-period groundswell from the SSW pushing 2 ft to 3 ft, but the wind is cross-on and the energy jumps up (1068 to 1148), which just means a lot of messy, choppy water. The comments are all "poor surf conditions". This is a classic case of the swell and wind not playing nice together. Honestly, for a beach-and-reef setup like this, you'd be better off looking at a kite on those days.

Things start to look a bit more promising around the weekend of the 25th and 26th of July. We get a pulse of ENE windswell, pushing 7 ft to 7 ft, but it's lumpy and cross-shore with a fresh breeze. The energy is strong (1351 to 1365), but the quality is still rated as marginal. However, by Sunday the 26th, the swell shifts to the east with a much longer period of 16 seconds, and the wind drops to a moderate breeze. The energy is very strong (1645 to 1822). This is a proper groundswell, and while it might be a bit testing for beginners at over 5 ft, for the experienced crew, this could be the standout window. The long period will mean better shaped waves, but watch out – it might wall up and break a bit straight on the beach. The reef points should handle it beautifully.

The first week of August brings a few more pulses, but the wind stays onshore or cross-shore and the quality is poor to marginal. There's a window on Monday the 3rd of August with ENE swell at 7 ft and energy over 1000, but the cross-onshore wind on Tuesday the 4th spoils the party.

The Bottom Line: If you're desperate for a paddle, the Sunday the 26th of July looks like the best bet. That east swell with long period and moderate cross-shore wind is the real standout. The Saturday the 25th also has size, but it's lumpy. For the rest of the run, it's a case of watching the wind and hoping for a clean-up. The best waves are likely to be on the reef points rather than the beach.

Stay salty.
Rusty.

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