Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Big Ben over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough start. For the first week and a half, we’re looking at a real flat spell. From Friday the 24th of July right through to Monday the 3rd of August, the swells are tiny and the conditions are just not cooperating. You’ll see a few small bumps, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft, but the wind is either cross-on or onshore, making it a choppy, messy affair. The combined wave energy barely cracks 100 (106) on the best of those days, and most days it’s well under that. It’s just not worth paddling out for. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 27th of July morning where it cleans up a bit with a light cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is still a puny 1 ft from the SE with a period of 14 seconds, giving a combined energy of only 151. It’s surfable, but only just. You’d be better off waiting.

The real story, and the only standout worth your time, happens much later. We’ve got a massive pulse of energy arriving around Tuesday the 4th of August. Now, this is where it gets interesting, but also a bit dangerous. The swell starts to build on Tuesday, with 5 ft to 6 ft from the SE, but the wind is still cross-on, so it’s not clean. The real deal is on Wednesday the 5th of August. Wednesday morning at Big Ben looks proper, with a 10 ft swell from the SE at a long 16-second period. The wind is light from the SE, which is onshore, but the forecast says the wind and tide are favorable. The combined wave energy is a whopping 4014, so you’ll feel the power. However, this is a big swell for a beach/jetty set-up, and at 10 ft it’s definitely getting into expert-only territory. It’s going to be a heavy, powerful, and potentially dangerous wave. If you’re a beginner, stay well clear.

After that, it just gets bigger. By Thursday the 6th of August, we’re talking 16 ft to 18 ft from the SE, with periods over 18 seconds. The wind turns offshore from the NE, which would make it clean, but the swell is absolutely enormous (14541 energy). This is for the most experienced big-wave chargers only, and even then you’ll want to be very careful. This trend continues right through to Saturday the 8th of August, with 25 ft swells and fresh offshore winds (42756 energy). It’s a monster stretch, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

So, what’s the best call? Honestly, the only option that’s even worth a mention is Wednesday the 5th of August. It’s the first day the swell is big enough to really get your heart pumping, and the light wind makes it look clean. But it’s a serious, heavy wave. For the rest of the period, you’re either staring at flat, choppy junk or getting pounded by a full-blown ocean swell. The crowds at Big Ben are listed as “sometimes” busier, but on a day like that, you’ll be sharing it with the die-hards only.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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