Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at Big Ben are a mixed bag, and for the most part, it’s pretty quiet. This spot is a beach/jetty setup, and it rarely fires, so don’t expect much. The water temp is sitting at 79.5°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first proper surf we see is on the morning of Thursday, 23rd July, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’ve got a tiny 2.6 ft east swell, with a 10-second period, and a cross breeze from the ENE at 6 mph. The energy is weak (178), and the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” Not a great start.

Friday, 24th July, is much the same – 2.0 ft to 2.3 ft, short period, still choppy. Saturday, 25th July, sees the swell drop to 1.3 ft, but the period jumps to 16 seconds, which is a long period groundswell. The energy is still weak (191), and the wind is messy. This kind of long period swell at a beach break tends to break too straight, so it’s not ideal.

Sunday, 26th July, offers a tiny glimmer. The morning has a 1.3 ft, 15-second swell from the SE, with a very light onshore breeze at 3 mph. The combined energy is moderate (201), and the conditions are described as “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s a score of 1, but that’s the best we’ve seen so far. If you’re desperate, you could paddle out, but don’t expect much.

Monday, 27th, and Tuesday, 28th, are still poor. Tuesday morning, though, has a cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph, with a 2.0 ft, 10-second swell. The energy is moderate (165), and the conditions are described as “clean.” This is the first time we’ve seen that word, but it’s still tiny. Score of 1.

Then we hit a gap. From Wednesday, 29th July, through to Friday, 31st July, it’s all poor conditions, with weak energy and messy winds. Nothing to surf.

Now, into the first week of August, things start to change. On Saturday, 1st August, the swell picks up. The morning has a 2.0 ft, 16-second swell from the ESE, with a cross-on breeze at 6 mph. The energy jumps to 289 (moderate), but it’s still marginal. The afternoon sees a better 3.0 ft, 15-second swell, with energy at 480 (moderate), but still only a score of 1.

Sunday, 2nd August, is our first real standout. The morning brings a 6.2 ft, 17-second swell from the ESE, with a very light cross-on breeze at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (2034), and the conditions are still “marginal,” but it’s a score of 3. The afternoon sees the swell at 6.9 ft, 16 seconds, with energy at 2370 (strong), and a cross-on breeze from the south at 6 mph. This is a decent groundswell, but at 6.2 ft to 6.9 ft, it’s getting into the territory where beginners might struggle. For a beach break, the long period could make it a bit straight, but with the swell direction aligning with the optimum SE direction, it should be okay.

Monday, 3rd August, is the other standout, but there’s a big caveat. The morning has a massive 11.5 ft, 18-second swell from the ESE, with a cross breeze from the SSW at 9 mph. The energy is very strong (7027), and the wind is favorable. But the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. Score of 11, but only for experts. At over 8.2 ft, this is not for beginners. The afternoon is the same size, with a cross-on breeze.

Tuesday, 4th August, continues with 13.1 ft, 18-second swell, and energy at 9205 (very strong). Again, too big for the break. Wednesday, 5th, Thursday, 6th, all the same – huge, powerful swell, but it’s going to be a washing machine. The combined energy is in the thousands, so it’s very strong, but the size makes it really only for the most experienced.

Then, on Friday, 7th August, the swell drops back to 4.6 ft, 11-second swell from the ENE, with a cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. Energy is moderate (670), and the conditions are described as “expect very good surf conditions.” Score of 3. This is a clean, surfable size, but it’s a one-off before the forecast ends.

So, my pick for the best on offer is Sunday, 2nd August, with the 6.2 ft to 6.9 ft ESE swell, clean enough conditions, and strong energy. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest we

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