Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid pulse of SW swell arriving at Big Bay, but it’s a tale of two halves. The first week starts with some decent, clean lines, but then things get a bit wild and messy before a truly massive, and frankly dangerous, pulse shows up in the second week.

The water is sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 3° below average, so you’ll want a good 4/3.

Tuesday 28th July kicks things off with a bit of a mixed bag. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW, packing a whole lot of energy (2478). The wind is a cross-off from the E at 9 mph, which should keep it clean, but the wave comment calls it marginal, so maybe not the best session to start with.

Wednesday 29th July is where it gets interesting. The morning is a standout. The swell drops a touch to 6ft from the SW, but the wind swings light offshore from the E at 6 mph, making it glassy. The energy is still strong (1133), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a top pick for the week. The afternoon turns to a cross-shore SSW wind, making it a bit of a mess.

Thursday 30th July morning is another beauty. The swell is 5ft from the SW, wind is a glassy 3 mph offshore from the E, and the energy is moderate (748). It’s not the biggest, but it’ll be clean and fun. The afternoon gets a little lumpy with a light cross-shore.

Friday 31st July and Saturday 1st August mornings both offer clean, smaller waves in the 4ft range with light offshore winds. Good for a longboard or a funboard, but nothing to get too excited about.

Sunday 2nd August sees the wind turn onshore, and the quality drops. From here, the surf gets a bit messy with onshore winds and short-period windswell mixing in.

Monday 3rd August afternoon shows a new pulse of SW groundswell coming through, with a 5ft swell from the WSW and a 14-second period (1248 energy). The wind is a clean cross-off, making it excellent for experienced surfers.

Tuesday 4th August holds clean, 5-6ft swell from the WSW with light cross-off winds. Consistent, clean, and fun.

Now, Wednesday 5th August is where it gets gnarly. The swell pumps up to 10ft from the SW, but a strong cross-on N wind at 12-16 mph chops it up. It’s poor surf. The afternoon sees 12ft and even stronger wind. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Thursday 6th through Sunday 9th August is a write-off. The swell is huge, ranging from 8ft to 15ft, but it’s hammered by onshore winds from the NW and W. The energy is monstrous (up to 7885) but the conditions are just too ugly and dangerous. Not for paddling.

Monday 10th August – hold onto your hats. The forecast shows a colossal 25ft swell from the WSW with a very long 16-second period. The energy reading is insane (50805). Even with a light cross-on wind, the wave comment says it’s too big for this break. This is a serious, life-threatening event. Experts only, and even then, probably not.

Tuesday 11th August morning still has a massive 16ft SSW swell, but the wind is light and cross-off. It’s still too big for most. The afternoon, however, is a redemption arc. The swell drops to a still-chunky 8ft from the S, the wind is a clean cross-off, and the energy is high (3646). This is excellent for experienced surfers looking for a window of clean, big-wave conditions.

Wednesday 12th August calms down nicely. The morning has clean 5ft S swell, and the afternoon sees a very long-period 4ft SW groundswell (18 seconds!). That long period will make it incredibly clean at the point, and the energy is still decent (1225), offering some brilliant, if somewhat inconsistent, waves.

The standout session is easily Wednesday 29th July morning – the combo of decent SW swell, light offshore wind, and clean conditions is about as good as it gets. For a second pick, Monday 3rd August afternoon offers a solid, clean pulse of new swell.

Rusty.

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