Apollo Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for Apollo Bay over this 16-day window. This southwest-facing beach and point breaks solid and consistent, but it’s not a simple run. There’s a window of serious size followed by a slow fade and a late pulse. Hang on, because we’re starting with a bit of a wait.

First up, nothing happening right now. The first real surf recommendation kicks off Sunday, July 12th, but it’s a messy affair. You’ll see an 12 ft WSW swell with a moderate 13-second period, punchy enough, with wave energy at 5596 (moderate-to-strong). But the wind is a fresh 35 km/h westerly, blowing offshore, so the surface is clean, but the whole setup is marginal. Water temp is 59°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year – a nice little anomaly that takes the edge off.

The standout window – and I mean the real standout – is Monday afternoon, July 13th. This is the big one. Swell jumps to a massive 23 ft from the WSW, long-period groundswell at 15 seconds, and the wave energy goes absolutely nuts at 28795 (very strong). The wind is a fresh offshore westerly, which means it’ll be clean. But mate, this is expert-only territory. Anything over 8 ft is getting serious, and 23 ft is a monster. Apollo Bay is a beach and point setup, so that long-period swell will likely line up better on the point, but still, only the most experienced should even consider it. Beginners, stay on the sand.

Tuesday, July 14th, eases a bit – 18 ft to 16 ft SW swell, still long-period at 15 seconds, with moderate offshore winds in the morning and fresh offshore in the afternoon. Wave energy is still strong (18212 and 15057). It’s clean, but again, this is big-wave territory. Not for the faint-hearted.

From Wednesday July 15th through Friday July 17th, the swell drops into a more manageable 6 ft to 7 ft range, still long-period SW groundswell (14-16 seconds). The big plus here is the wind: glassy or near-glassy conditions, especially Friday morning and afternoon when it turns glassy with slight air movement. Wave energy drops to moderate (2027 down to 1474). This is where the more competent intermediates can have a crack, but the long period at a beach break can make the waves a bit straight. The point should offer better shape.

Saturday July 18th offers small 3 ft to 4 ft SW swell with glassy conditions, but wave energy is weak (339-485). Fun for a longboard or a foiler, nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a gap. From Sunday July 19th through to Wednesday July 23rd, the swell goes tiny and the conditions turn poor or marginal. It’s a real lull, with waves mostly below 3 ft and messy winds. Not worth paddling out.

The second week brings a late pulse. On Thursday July 24th, Friday July 25th, and Saturday July 26th, the swell builds back to 5 ft to 6 ft SW, with clean conditions and glassy moments. Wave energy climbs back to moderate (1470-1591). This is promising, but it’s a week and a half away, so treat it as a hopeful possibility rather than a certainty. The Sunday July 26th session looks smaller again.

Monday July 27th closes the period with an 8 ft SW swell, short period at 8 seconds, meaning weaker, wind-affected waves. Wind is offshore in the afternoon, but the quality drops. It’s for seasoned surfers only due to the size.

Best on offer? No question: Monday afternoon July 13th is the big, dangerous standout. If you have the skill and the nerve, that’s your session. For the rest of us, the glassy mornings from July 15th to 17th are the sweet spot – clean, decent-sized, and much safer.

Rusty.

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