Bay Front Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for Bay Front.

Right from the get-go, the situation is a bit grim. Bay Front is a reef break that rarely breaks, which is a big red flag. It’s not exactly a consistent performer, so a quiet run is more normal here.

We’re looking at a long stretch with very little to get excited about. From Saturday afternoon, the 18th of July, right through to the end of the month, the conditions are just not playing ball. The wind is constantly cross-on or cross-shore, and the swell is messy. The water temp is sitting at 80°, with a tiny anomaly of 1°, so it’s pretty average for the time of year. Nothing to complain about there, but it’s not saving the surf.

The first few days are a total write-off. Saturday afternoon sees a 6 ft ENE swell with a short, weak period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 459. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, churning it up. It’s poor. Sunday and Monday aren’t any better—smaller swell, cross-shore wind, and the same old story. The energy drops to 158 by Monday morning.

We get a little tease on Tuesday the 21st. The morning sees a 5 ft ENE swell, still short period at 7 seconds, but the energy jumps to 372. The wind shifts to a light cross-shore, which is a bit better. However, it’s still only a marginal call. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for.

The middle of the week, from Wednesday the 22nd, gets interesting in a weird way. The swell period suddenly jumps to 13 seconds, then 12 seconds, and the energy goes through the roof – 501 on Wednesday morning, 624 that afternoon. That’s a whole lot of energy, but the wind is still cross-on. For a reef break, that long period groundswell could be decent, but the wind is ruining the potential. Thursday and Friday are more of the same - 5 ft to 5 ft ENE swell, but the wind is just not letting up. It’s all poor surf conditions.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the weekend of the 26th and 27th of July. Sunday the 26th has a 6 ft E swell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy is massive – 1803 on the morning, 1697 in the afternoon. That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. For a reef break, that’s the kind of swell that could really shape up. But the wind is still a gentle cross-onshore from the NE. It’s a cruel joke. The conditions are still marginal.

Monday the 27th sees a 6 ft to 7 ft E swell, with a 15-second period and energy around 1700. That is a solid swell. Still, the wind is that light cross-onshore. It’s a case of “what could have been.” The size is getting up there, over 5 ft, so it’s not for beginners, and at 7 ft it’s getting into more experienced surfer territory.

After that, the energy and swell size slowly drop off as we head into the first few days of August. The period stays long, but the size drops to 3 ft by the 31st of July. The wind finally goes cross-shore or light cross-on, but the swell is too small to really get excited about.

So, the honest truth is, there’s no real standout here. The best of the worst is probably the 26th and 27th of July, where the powerful, long-period groundswell from the east is hitting. If the wind was offshore, it would be a dream. But with that constant cross-onshore, it’s a frustrating watch. The setup is a reef, so that long period energy won’t just close out, but it’s not going to be clean. If you’re a kite surfer, the combination of strong energy and cross-wind might look a lot more interesting than it does for a paddle surfer.

It’s a rough 16 days for Bay Front. This kind of dry spell is not unusual for a spot that rarely breaks, so don’t lose hope.

Rusty.

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