Bar Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and pull up a seat. Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Bar Beach over the next couple of weeks.

We've got a bit of a slow start, but don't walk away just yet. The first few days are a bit of a write-off – the swell is there, but the wind and tide are making a mess of things. Hold tight, because from Saturday morning, things start to clean up nicely. There's a solid run of good conditions from the 25th of July right through to the morning of the 28th, and then a bit of a lull for a while. The real standout, the one you circle on the calendar, is looking like Saturday the 8th of August. That's a long way off, but the signals are strong.

Now, let's get into the details. The water temp is sitting right where it should be for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Friday 24th July – Honestly, it's a bit of a non-starter. We've got a 5ft to 5ft S swell with a 10-second period, which has some energy (480), but the wind is messy. It's a cross-off in the morning and a cross-on in the afternoon, and the reports say the tide is questionable. Best to give it a miss.

Saturday 25th July – This is where it gets good. Saturday morning, the wind swings offshore from the WNW at 19 mph, and we've got a clean 5ft S swell with a 12-second period packing a punch (712). This is proper groundswell. The report is calling for very good surf. Then Saturday afternoon, it goes glassy with a light NNW breeze at 5 km/h (3 mph). The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but it's still a clean 11-second S swell. That afternoon session is a gem.

Sunday 26th July – Another solid day. Sunday morning, the wind is cross-off from the W at 10 km/h (6 mph), with a 5ft S swell, 11-second period, and good energy (570). The report says very good surf conditions. It's a beach break, so with that long-period groundswell, expect some straighter lines, but the quality is there. The afternoon turns onshore, so get your session in early.

Monday 27th July – A fun, smaller day. The morning is clean with a light offshore NW breeze at 5 km/h (3 mph), offering a 4ft S swell at 9 seconds. The energy is moderate (202), but it's clean and surfable. Not a standout, but a good one for an easy paddle.

Tuesday 28th July – The swell is dropping fast. Tuesday morning, we have a 2ft S swell with a 9-second period and offshore NW wind. It's rideable, but ordinary. The afternoon is similar with 2ft. It's a small-wave day.

Wednesday 29th July to Friday 7th August – This is a big gap. The surf quality takes a real dive. We get a mix of very small swell (1.0ft) with a weirdly long period (16-17 seconds) that doesn't have any energy behind it, or onshore winds, or just poor conditions. The energy levels drop very low, and the reports are all poor or marginal. The swell picks up a bit at the end of this period, but the wind is onshore nearly the whole time, ruining the shape. There's a tiny window on the morning of Thursday the 6th of August with a clean 4ft S swell and light cross-off wind, but it's surrounded by chop.

Saturday 8th August – The big one. This is the standout. It's a long way off, so don't book the plane tickets yet, but the forecast is excellent. Saturday morning, the swell is a solid 10ft from the E with a 12-second period. The wave energy is massive (2679). The wind is a light offshore from the N at 10 km/h (6 mph), which will groom it perfectly. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That's the key – 10ft is big, powerful, and for the crew who know what they're doing. Expect a crowd, as Bar Beach gets 'often' busy, and with this kind of swell, it'll be a magnet. The direction (E) is a good match for the break's optimum exposure (SE). This is the one to watch.

Rusty.

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