Bay Front Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s in store for Bay Front.

First off, this reef setup at Bay Front (a reef break) is a finicky one. It rarely breaks, so we’re already up against it. The water temp is sitting at 27°, which is about par for the course this time of year.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s a lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind, which is a real bummer. The swell gets big, like Monday afternoon the 27th of July, with a 7ft easterly swell and a 14-second period. That’s a ton of energy (1806) and a long period, ideal for a reef, but the wind is straight onshore from the north at 12 mph. The surf quality is poor, so don’t even think about it.

Tuesday the 28th of July is even bigger – 10ft from the ENE on Tuesday morning – but again, onshore wind and marginal conditions. That’s expert-only territory, and it’s not clean. Not worth the paddle.

We get a small window mid-week. Wednesday the 29th of July through to Thursday the 30th of July has smaller swell, around 4ft to 5ft, and the wind swings to a cross-off from the SE and ESE. That’s a cleaner look, with the energy dropping to moderate levels (278 to 417). Thursday afternoon the 30th of July is the first real highlight: 5ft from the east, 8-second period, with a light breeze from the ESE. The file says "expect good surf conditions," and at this break, that’s as good as it gets. It’s not a standout, but it’s the cleanest window of this first week.

From Friday the 31st of July through the first week of August, it’s a mess. The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, the swell is up and down, and the quality is poor or marginal. The combined energy is moderate, but the wind just kills it. There’s a consistent 5ft to 7ft ENE swell, but it’s always choppy.

Now, the one true standout is on Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning window is glassy – wind from the east at just 3 mph, a 5ft ENE swell with a solid 11-second period, and energy of 557. That’s the best on offer. The reef will be handling that long-period energy well, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean. Keep in mind, this is a spot that rarely breaks, so if it’s working, you need to be there. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue, so you might have a few others in the water, but for a Tuesday morning that’s a chance worth taking.

After that, it fades. The second week (from the 5th of August onward) is a mix of cross-off winds and small swell, but nothing really firing. The 10th and 11th of August have some clean, cross-off conditions with 4ft to 5ft NE swell, but the energy is low (233 to 435). Surfable, but average.

So, to sum it up: the best window is the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August. That’s your one clean shot. The rest of the 16 days is mostly onshore chop or marginal surf. For a break that rarely comes to life, that’s not a total shock. Look, forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but right now, that Tuesday morning is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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