Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s break down the next few weeks at Bird Rock. We’ve got a wild ride ahead, with some serious swell windows, but you’ll have to be patient and pick your moments.

The pattern starts off slow and ugly, but then it absolutely fires up for a few days before fading back into a long, quiet spell. The main event is a powerful pulse of south-west groundswell hitting around the 23rd and 24th of July, but the wind is going to be a constant battle. The standout window is actually the following week, around the 28th of July, when the conditions finally align. There’s another big, late-season possibility on the 3rd of August, but that’s a long way off and less certain.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year.

Wednesday, July 22nd
Forget about it. The swell is a tiny 2 ft from the SW, and the wind is a messy cross-off. The combined energy is a weak 178. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday, July 23rd & Friday, July 24th
Here comes the juice. Thursday morning we see a solid 12 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is absolutely pumping at 6135. This is big, powerful stuff. Over 8 ft, so this is strictly for the experts. The wind is a constant cross-off, which is a major bummer – it’s going to be a real battle out there. By Friday, the swell drops to 8 ft from the SSW, still with a long 15-second period, but the wind picks up to 30 km/h (19 mph). This is heavy, unruly, and likely a washing machine. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Saturday, July 25th & Sunday, July 26th
The swell is still solid on Saturday morning at 12 ft from the SW, but the energy is still huge at 4920. Still cross-off winds. It’s messy. By Sunday afternoon, things settle down to 4 ft from the SW with a light 10 km/h (6 mph) breeze. The energy drops to 279. It’s clean, but it’s small. A slow, grovelly session if you’re desperate.

Monday, July 27th
A little more promise. The swell is 4 ft from the SW, but the wind finally swings offshore from the NW. The combined energy is 525. It’s clean, but not big. A decent low-key day.

Best of the Bunch: Tuesday, July 28th
This is the one to circle. The morning window is a beauty. We’ve got a 6 ft SSW swell with a very long 15-second period, and the wind is a light offshore from the NW. The energy is a solid 1363. This is a proper groundswell, and the offshore wind is going to make Bird Rock (Tahiti) glassy and clean. The long period means long, lined-up sets, perfect for this reef setup. It’s a top-tier call for experienced surfers, but be aware that Bird Rock can get crowded. Get on it.

Wednesday, July 29th through Friday, August 1st
The window slams shut. Onshore winds take over, and the swell drops off drastically. The energy fades from 1803 down to 234. It’s a write-off for a solid few days.

Saturday, August 2nd & Sunday, August 3rd
The swell is tiny, around 3 ft to 3 ft from the SW. The wind is mostly cross-off or offshore, but the energy is low. Sunday morning on the 2nd is clean with a light breeze, but it’s only 3 ft.

The Long-Range Look: Monday, August 3rd
A late-season surprise is on the horizon. The afternoon of the 3rd of August shows a 4 ft SW swell with a massive 20-second period, and the wind is offshore from the NW. The energy jumps to 2152. This is an incredibly long period swell, which will be a dream for this reef. It’s a promising, but less certain, call for the distant future. Worth keeping an eye on.

Tuesday, August 4th onward
The swell sticks around at 6 ft, but the wind gets a bit stronger. The 4th looks surfable with offshore winds, but the quality drops. By the 5th, the swell is back up to 10 ft, but with a short, weak period of 9 seconds and strong cross-off winds. It’s a messy, blown-out mess. The last few days of the forecast show a complete drop-off to tiny, weak swells.

So, to sum it up: the 28th of July is your big, clean winner. The 23rd and 24th are for the brave and the expert. Everything else is either a waiting game or a miss.

Rusty.

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