Apollo Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for our stretch of coast. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest, with the first few days looking pretty average before we start seeing some proper size and cleaner conditions come into play. There’s some solid groundswell on the cards, but we gotta be patient to get to it.

The water temp is sitting at 57.2°, which is about normal for this time of year, so a decent steamer is still the go.

We kick things off with a slow start. This Sunday the 16th has a bit of swell around 3.6ft to 3.9ft from the southwest with a 14-second period, but it’s onshore and the wave comment is pretty blunt about it being marginal. The energy is moderate at 929, but it’s not going to be anything to write home about. Monday the 17th is similar, maybe a touch bigger at 4.3ft, but the wind is cross-onshore and it’s just not clean. Tuesday follows suit, still small and choppy. From Wednesday the 19th through to Thursday the 20th, the swell drops right off, down to 1.6ft to 2ft. The wind goes offshore on Thursday, which is nice, but there’s just not enough water moving to make it worthwhile. It’s a flat spell, so you’re not missing much.

Now, here’s where things start to pick up. Friday the 21st looks like the first real chance to get wet. The morning has a cross-offshore breeze with 3.6ft of southwest swell, period 15 seconds, and the energy is building back up to 950. But the standout is the afternoon. The wind swings offshore and it’s clean, with 3.3ft of swell and a punchy 18-second period. The energy is up at 1018, and the guidance labels it as “very good surf conditions.” It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and lined up. This is your pick for the first week.

But hold on, because the real event is coming. Saturday the 22nd sees a massive pulse of energy roll in, with the combined energy hitting a whopping 11218. The morning is showing a solid 14.8ft of southwest swell, but the period is a shorter 14 seconds and it’s cross-offshore. That size is pushing well past the “expert only” mark, so it’s not for the faint of heart. The afternoon backs off a bit to 7.2ft, still from the southwest, but with clean offshore wind. That’s still big, powerful surf for experienced surfers only. Apollo Bay (Great Ocean Road) will be handling a lot of water, so if you’re not confident, give it a miss. Sunday the 23rd is still big, around 6.9ft, with a 15-second period, but the wind is cross-offshore and it stays that way through the day. Definitely a step down from Saturday but still a serious session.

Monday the 24th is another giant. We’re looking at 14.8ft in the morning, jumping to 16.4ft by the afternoon, with a 14-second southwest swell. The energy numbers are absolutely huge, over 12000, and while the wind is fresh offshore and clean, this is for the top-tier chargers only. This is big, raw ocean. If you’re not a very experienced surfer, this is a day to watch from the headland. Tuesday the 25th eases off to a still-chunky 7.9ft, but the wind swings cross-shore, so it’ll be messier.

After that big pulse, the week starts to settle down. Wednesday the 26th sees the swell drop back to 4.3ft to 4.6ft, but the wind is onshore and it’s sloppy. Thursday the 27th has some size at 6.9ft with an 18-second period, which is classic long-period groundswell, but the wind is only light cross-shore, so it might be a bit lumpy. The energy is strong at 3444, but it’s not perfect.

Now, for the second week, the promise is there but it’s a bit further out. Friday the 28th brings 5.2ft to 5.6ft of southwest swell with a cross-offshore breeze, and the afternoon looks clean with a 15-second period. It’s a decent session. But the real standout of the second week has to be Saturday the 29th. The morning is looking glassy, with wind almost nothing out of the west-northwest. There’s 3.6ft of swell on a 13-second period. It’s not big, but it’s clean as a whistle. The wave comment says “good surf conditions,” and with glassy conditions like that, it’ll be worth paddling out for some fun, clean waves. Not a big day, but a quality one.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st round out the period with 5.2ft

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