Big Wave Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, wanderin' in here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Big Wave Bay. The short story is: it’s a bleak stretch ahead. Across the entire 16-day window, from the 31st of July right through to the 15th of August, there’s not a single window that shapes up for a decent paddle. The whole run is a write-off for surf.

First up, the morning of the 31st of July is a non-starter. We’ve got a 4 ft ESE swell but it’s arriving with a short, weak 5-second period and the wind is howling out of the east at 19 mph, putting a nasty cross-onshore chop on everything. The combined energy is a feeble 67, so there’s just no push. The water’s sitting at 84°, which is about average for the time of year, but that’s the only nice thing I can say.

That afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the same direction, and the period stretches to 6 seconds, but the wind stays brutal at 19 mph from the ESE. It’s still cross-onshore and lumpy. The energy creeps up to 141, but it’s junk.

Saturday the 1st of August is more of the same. Morning has a 4 ft E swell, but it’s mixed with a 19 mph cross-shore wind from the ENE and a risk of thunderstorms. The energy is 87. The afternoon drops to 3 ft, and the wind swings to a gentle 9 mph, but it’s still cross-onshore. It’s flat, choppy, and poor.

From the 2nd of August onwards, the swell collapses. The 2nd starts with a 2 ft ESE swell and a 12 mph cross-shore wind, then drops to 0.3 ft. The energy is down to 17 and then 4. It’s basically flat. The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of August are all the same story: tiny dribbles of swell, 0.3 ft to 1 ft, mostly from the SE with periods that are all over the shop. The energy never gets above 69. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 6th of August where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is 0.3 ft with a 15-second period. That’s a long period for a tiny wave, and it’s going to be a horrible, fat, straight closeout on a beach break if it even breaks at all.

The 7th of August sees a clean cross-offshore wind, but the swell is 0.3 ft in the morning and 2 ft in the afternoon from the SW with a 4-second period – that’s just wind slop. The energy is 10. The 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th of August are dead flat, with zero energy showing. The winds are clean or cross-off, but there’s simply nothing to ride.

The 12th and 13th of August tease with a 0.3 ft swell from the east, but the periods are 12 to 13 seconds, and the energy is a pathetic 2 to 3. The 14th of August is the same. The 15th of August has a clean offshore wind in the morning, but again, zero swell. The afternoon brings a cross-shore breeze and a risk of thunderstorms.

So, here’s the truth. For the next 16 days, Big Wave Bay is a bust. There are no standouts. The conditions are persistently poor, the swell is either tiny or non-existent, and the wind is almost always wrong. For a beginner-friendly, sheltered spot like this, that’s a tough run. The only thing that might be worth a look is if you’ve got a kite and a death wish, because the wind is consistent, but for a paddle surfer? Save your energy. Forecasts can change, but right now, this is a blank.

Rusty

Read more