Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into the outlook for this spot.

Bird Rock is a reef break that needs a decent swell from the southwest to light up, and we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The first week is pretty quiet with small, weak waves, but the good news is the wind looks fantastic almost every day – light offshores or even glassy conditions. The water is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The whole first week, from Friday the 17th through to Wednesday the 23rd, is a bit of a tease. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with combined energy levels that are pretty weak (under 400). You’ll get clean, glassy conditions on Saturday afternoon the 18th with a 3ft SW swell and absolutely zero wind – that’s a beautiful, quiet session for a longboard or a fun board, but it’s not going to get your heart pumping. The wind stays light and offshore for most of this period, which is a major positive, but the lack of size holds it back.

The real standout, and the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 23rd of July. The morning and afternoon both serve up a solid 6ft swell from the southwest, with a nice long period of 14-15 seconds. The combined energy jumps right up to 1200-1250, so you’re getting proper groundswell power. The wind is a light cross-offshore, which will keep the face clean. This is the best of the window by a long shot. Just be aware, with a 6ft swell at a reef break, this is one for the experienced crew; beginners might find it a bit much.

After that, things get messy. Friday the 24th sees a bigger 7-8ft swell but it’s from the south-southwest with onshore wind, making for choppy, marginal conditions. Saturday the 25th bounces back with a clean 5ft SW swell and moderate offshore wind, giving us another very good day, but the energy isn’t quite as high as Thursday.

The second week runs into stronger winds and a lot of poor surf. Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 30th of July looks pretty average, with a lot of cross-shore wind and choppy, messy conditions. There’s a big spike in energy on the 30th (over 2700) but it’s 8ft of SW swell with cross-shore wind – that’s a big, bumpy, expert-only situation, and the quality is poor.

The window closes out with a couple of promising sessions on Friday the 31st of July and Saturday the 1st of August. The 31st has a 4ft SW swell in the morning with light cross-offshore wind, and by the afternoon, the wind goes completely glassy for a 4ft swell. That’s a lovely, clean end to the run. The 1st of August is similar but with a bit more wind.

So, to sum it up: Thursday the 23rd of July is the clear winner – proper size, good period, clean wind. If you can’t make that, the glassy afternoon on Friday the 31st is a great second choice. The rest is a mix of small clean waves or bigger, messy ones.

Rusty.

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