Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into what's cookin' for our local stretch. Right now it's flat and not worth your time, but there's a pulse of energy comin' through early next week. The first few days are pretty damn quiet, so don't rush out.

We're starting at Blacks Reef on the afternoon of July 5th. It's a tiny knee-high wave, about 3 ft from the ESE, with a short, weak period. The water's at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so grab the 5/4. The wind is light offshore from the NNE, so the surface will be clean, but the energy is weak, makin' it more of a log session than anything proper. This reef breaks often, but the crowds are often there too, so expect some company.

The real standout of this whole run is set for the morning and afternoon of July 6th and into the morning of July 7th. On Monday the 6th, we see the swell buildin' from 4 ft up to 6 ft through the day, comin' straight out of the east. The wind stays light offshore and goes glassy on the Monday afternoon, makin' for some real clean, smooth surf. Tuesday morning the 7th is the absolute gem: a solid 5 ft from the east, but the wind is dead glass. This is your best window, no question. The swell period is modest, so it's not a heavy groundswell, but with those clean conditions and decent size, Blacks Reef will be pumpin' with fun, user-friendly lines.

From Tuesday afternoon the 7th onwards, it turns ugly. The wind swings onshore from the SSW, and the swell gets big and messy. By July 8th and 9th, we're lookin' at 7 ft to over 7 ft of east-southeast swell, but the wind is howlin' onshore, makin' it a choppy, blown-out mess. The energy is strong, but it's wasted. The swell goes south and the period drops short, so it's just lumpy.

Then the big stuff arrives. July 10th brings a massive pulse: 18 ft from the south with an onshore gale. The energy is extreme, but this is strictly for the experts and kite surfers only. The conditions are dangerous and ugly for a paddle surfer. This big, blown-out mess sticks around through the weekend and into the start of the next week.

We get a breather around July 14th and 15th. The swell drops back to 4 ft to 6 ft, comin' from the SE and ESE with a nice, long period. The wind turns light and goes cross-off or glassy again. These windows are clean and offer another good, though smaller, chance for a wave.

After that, the last few days of the forecast, from July 16th through the 19th, drop right off to tiny waves of 1 ft to 3 ft with very low energy. The wind is offshore but the swell is just too small to be worthwhile. We see a brief uptick on July 20th with 6 ft from the SSW, but it's a short-period, wind-affected swell again.

So, to sum it up: don't bother with the board until late Sunday afternoon July 5th for a tiny warm-up, then circle Monday afternoon July 6th and especially Tuesday morning July 7th on your calendar. That's your best shot for clean, solid waves. After that, it's a week of big, nasty swell before a couple of small, clean windows around the 14th and 15th. The far-out stuff on the 20th has too much wind to get excited about.

Rusty out.

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