Ballina North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Ballina North Wall.

Alright, first thing’s first – the next week or so is pretty grim. We’ve got plenty of swell coming, but the wind is going to wreck it. There’s a real window of opportunity from Tuesday the 21st of July, but before that, it’s mostly a write-off.

Sunday the 12th is a bit of a tease. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SE with a 10-second period, but it’s a cross-off breeze and the energy is weak (248). It’s surfable, but honestly, it’s ordinary. The water temp is 69°, which is pretty much average for this time of year. Monday the 13th drops right off – tiny 2ft swell, not worth paddling out for.

Then things get proper ugly. From Tuesday the 14th right through to Sunday the 19th, the swell builds dramatically, but we’re talking about a strong cross-onshore wind from the SSE. Thursday the 16th afternoon pumps a massive 15ft swell from the SSE (energy readings of 3887), but it’s accompanied by a strong breeze and messy cross-chop. That’s not a surf day; that’s a day for the kite crew. The same story continues through Friday, Saturday and Sunday – huge swell (up to 18ft on Saturday the 18th afternoon with 7326 energy), but the wind is horrible. This is a classic case of too much energy and the wrong direction wind for a beach/breakwater setup. The only folks who might be happy are the kite surfers.

Now, Monday the 20th of July, the swell is still big – 8ft in the morning from the ESE (1223 energy) – but the wind is finally a light, clean cross-off from the S. The forecast says it’s too big for this break, and at over 8ft, that’s expert territory only. The tide conditions might be a factor too. It’s a solid wave, but I’d only recommend it for very experienced crew.

The standout, and I mean the only real standout in this whole 16-day window, is Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning session is looking like the pick of the lot. We’ve got a clean 6ft ESE swell, period around 10 seconds, and a light cross-off wind from the SW. The energy is moderate (629), and the conditions are described as “very good.” This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s still a bit on the bigger side for beginners, but for anyone who can handle a solid 6ft wave, this is going to be fun. The wind will be light and offshore, so the waves should be clean and well-shaped. The swell direction (ESE) is a little off the optimum (ENE), but it’s still a good angle for the point.

After that, Wednesday the 22nd drops back to 4ft, and the quality fades. Thursday the 23rd morning has a small 3ft clean swell, but it’s just ordinary. The rest of the week into the weekend is pretty flat or blown out.

So, if you’ve got a window, make it Tuesday the 21st of July morning at Ballina North Wall. That’s your best bet. The rest is either too big, too windy, or too small.

Rusty.

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