Anne Street Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The first few days are a battle with onshore winds and messy conditions at Anne Street Reef. The only real window of decent surf is a long way off, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week.

We start with Wednesday, July 22nd. The morning brings a 5ft swell from the east, but it’s wrapped in a cross-shore wind and the energy is moderate (617). The wave comment says it’s marginal, and honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. The afternoon drops to 5ft but the wind turns cross-on, pushing the energy down to 364. It’s a write-off.

Thursday, July 23rd, is a tease. The morning glass-off with a clean 4ft swell from the east, period of 8 seconds, and a light cross-offshore wind from the southwest. It’s the first proper clean surf of the forecast, but with only 210 energy, it’s small and weak. The afternoon goes straight onshore and turns to junk.

From Friday, July 24th, right through to the end of the month, it’s a nightmare. The swell gets bullied by strong winds, the energy is mostly weak, and the wave quality is poor or marginal. Friday morning is clean but tiny at 3ft. Friday afternoon gets a boost to 7ft from the SE, but with a 19 mph cross-shore wind and a pathetic 6-second period, it’s just lumpy, messy, and dangerous for beginners. The energy is moderate (395), but the quality is zero.

Saturday, July 25th, the morning is clean again with a 5ft SSE swell, but the energy is only moderate (497) and the conditions are still rated marginal. The afternoon is onshore and flat. The rest of the month and into the first few days of August is a desert of tiny surf, mostly under 3ft, with poor conditions and very low energy, often in the double digits. It’s a real flat spell.

Now, the one bright spot. Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 6th. The morning at Anne Street Reef shows a 6ft swell from the southeast, with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is offshore from the west, a light breeze, and the surf is described as "clean." The combined energy jumps to 682, which is a solid moderate-to-strong pulse. The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions" and it scores well internally. This is our standout. It’s a long way off, so the forecast might change, but right now, that’s the day to aim for. The 6ft is a nice size for a reef break, not too big for the average surfer, but it’s a little punchy. The direction is perfect for the reef’s optimum, and that offshore wind will make it glassy. It’s a reef break, so it’ll handle the long-period energy well, shaping up some nice lines.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Overall, it’s a tough stretch. The first two weeks are mostly a bust, with a lot of onshore wind and tiny waves. If you’re an expert, you could try to make something of the bigger, wind-affected days, but it won't be pretty. The only real standout is that Thursday, August 6th morning window. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Rusty.

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