Apollo Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, with a look at what Old Man Winter is dishing up for us. It’s a big, heavy-duty swell train coming our way, so let’s get into it.

First up, we’ve got a monster pulse of SW groundswell hitting Apollo Bay starting Thursday, the 23rd of July. This isn’t a day for the faint-hearted. The combined energy is massive, registering a whopping 11235 (moderate to strong wave energy) on Thursday morning, building to 12272 in the afternoon. We’re looking at a solid 15ft to 16ft of SW swell with a long 14-second period, and it’s getting cleaned up by a fresh offshore breeze. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. This is proper, powerful, groundswell. That swell direction of SW lines up perfectly with what this break wants. The crowds are only ‘sometimes’ an issue, so on a big Thursday like this, you might actually have some room.

Friday the 24th steps it up even further. The morning sees 16ft of SW swell with a 15-second period and a massive combined energy of 16461 (strong wave energy). The offshore wind holds. Friday afternoon is similar, 16ft at 14 seconds. This is absolute top-tier, expert-only territory. If you’re not 100% comfortable with big, heavy, rolling walls, give this one a miss. For the experienced crew, this is as good as it gets.

Saturday the 25th still packs a punch, but the energy drops a notch. The morning is 13ft of SW swell at 13 seconds with a combined energy of 7286 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a clean offshore from the W. This is still solid, but more manageable for strong intermediates. The afternoon drops to 13ft at 12 seconds with a lighter WSW breeze.

Sunday the 26th is the last of the big, exciting days. We’ve got 10ft of SW swell at 11 seconds in the morning, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The energy drops to 2398 (moderate wave energy). The afternoon cleans up to a 8ft swell with a true offshore wind. This is still a really good day for experienced surfers, but the size is coming down.

After that, the first week of the swell fades. Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th see a big drop in size and energy, with the added complication of cross-offshore winds. Wednesday the 29th, though, throws a curveball. The morning shows a massive 20ft of SW swell at 16 seconds, with a combined energy of 27618 (very strong wave energy). The finder says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a serious, bona fide swell event, but it’ll be a foamy, washing-machine mess at Apollo Bay. Not for paddling.

The rest of the week into early August is a mixed bag. Thursday the 30th brings onshore winds and lumpy conditions as the swell drops. We get a bit of a reprieve from Saturday the 1st of August, with a long-period (20-second) groundswell on the Saturday afternoon, but it’s only 4ft. The real standout for the second week is Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd of August. We’re looking at clean, light offshore winds and a solid 6ft to 7ft SW groundswell with a 16 to 17-second period. The combined energy sits around 1185 to 2619, which is moderate but high quality. The wind is light, the swell is lined up, and the direction is perfect. That Monday morning, the 3rd of August, is the pick of the second week for experienced surfers.

The very end of the forecast window, from the 6th and 7th of August, is compromised by onshore winds, turning the surf choppy and messy. Not great for the paddle surfer.

So, the absolute standout is the window from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th July. The Thursday and Friday are for big-wave pros only. The Saturday and Sunday are for the strong, experienced crew. The second week’s best bet is Monday the 3rd of August.

Keep your wetsuit zipped, the ocean is talking.

Rusty.

Read more