Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a slow start and a tricky run ahead.

We’re looking at a pretty blank canvas for the next few days. The only spot on the radar is Big Ben, a beach/jetty setup that’s inconsistent and exposed to the swell. It’s also a beginner-friendly zone, but don’t get your hopes up just yet.

The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year – nothing weird there.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 28th of July right through to Saturday the 2nd of August, it’s mostly small and weak. You’re looking at knee to waist-high junk at best, with a combined energy reading that’s barely a whisper (146 on Tuesday). The wind is messy, mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the period is short, around 6-7 seconds. That’s just mushy, blown-out slop. Not worth paddling out for.

There’s a glimmer on Sunday the 2nd of August. The swell starts to build, with a 5ft swell from the ESE and a period jumping to 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy hits 1030, which is moderate. But the wind is onshore, so it’s going to be lumpy. The surf is still only marginal.

Now, here’s the real kicker. From Monday the 3rd of August onwards, the swell goes absolutely mental. We’re talking 10ft on Monday afternoon, 13ft on Tuesday, and peaking at a massive 20ft on Wednesday the 5th of August. The period is a dreamy 17-18 seconds, with combined energy readings in the thousands (over 21,000 on Wednesday). That’s a very strong, long-period groundswell.

But here’s the catch – and it’s a big one. For a beach/jetty break like Big Ben, this is just too much. It’s expert-only territory, and even then, the forecast says it’s too big for this break. A long-period swell like this will jack up and close out on a beach setup. It’s going to be a washing machine. The wind is cross-offshore on Wednesday morning which would be clean, but the size is just insane. This setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The best stand-out, if you’re a seasoned charger, would be the Wednesday morning, August 5th, at Big Ben. You’ve got a 20ft SE swell with a 18-second period, and a cross-offshore wind from the NE. The water will be clean, but you’d better be a damn good swimmer. For the rest of us, it’s a week to watch from the sand.

The energy drops off later in the second week, but it stays messy and cross-onshore, dropping back to 5ft and smaller. The crowds at Big Ben are listed as "sometimes", so on the rare good day, you might have some company.

Rusty.

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