Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range outlook for Blacks Reef. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run of clean surf kicking off this Saturday morning, July 4th. The weekend starts with a nice 1.4m swell out of the ESE, with a period around 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell with some energy behind it. The combined energy is sitting at 545 (moderate), and with a light offshore breeze from the NNE, the conditions are looking clean. This is a consistent reef break that’s exposed to the south swell, and it’s rated for beginners, so it’s a good option for a wide range of surfers. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Sunday, July 5th sees the swell ease a bit, dropping to 1.0m on Sunday morning and 0.9m in the afternoon, but the wind stays offshore from the NNE. It’s still clean, just a little smaller. The period drops to 10 seconds, so not quite as much push, but it’s still fun.

Monday, July 6th, the morning swell picks back up to 1.2m with offshore winds, and the period holds at 9 seconds. But it’s the Monday afternoon that’s the stand-out of the first week. The swell bumps up to 1.8m out of the east, period at 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 599 (moderate). The wind swings light offshore from the NE, and it’s looking really clean. This is a top session for the week.

Tuesday morning, July 7th, is glassy – I mean, absolutely glassy. The wind is NW at just 5 km/h, which is as good as it gets. The swell is 1.6m out of the east, period 10 seconds, and the energy is 760 (moderate). The water will be like a mirror. That’s a magic window.

Now, Wednesday, July 8th, is a big day. The morning has a 2.3m swell from the ESE with a 10-second period and the energy is a whopping 1297 (strong). The wind is glassy again from the west. This is a true standout for experienced surfers – 2.3m is getting too big for beginners, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, the conditions will be excellent. The afternoon though, watch out – the wind goes cross-onshore from the SSE and it gets lumpy.

From Thursday, July 9th, through to Sunday, July 12th, the weather turns nasty. Strong onshore winds, rain, and a messy, blown-out ocean. The swell gets huge – up to 4.0m on Saturday, July 11th – but with onshore winds of 30-40 km/h and an energy reading of 3575 (very strong), it’s a no-go for paddling. This setup would be more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers. There’s a solid four-day gap here with no decent surf.

Monday, July 13th, things start to clean up. The morning is marginal with a cross-shore wind, but the afternoon is a gem. The swell is 2.2m out of the SE, period 10 seconds, energy is 1093 (strong), and the wind is light cross-offshore from the ENE. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers again. This is a strong contender if you can sneak out mid-week.

Tuesday, July 14th, keeps the good vibes rolling. The swell drops a touch to 1.8m out of the ESE, but the period stretches to 12 seconds, giving it real grunt. The wind is offshore from the NE in the afternoon. Energy is 925 (moderate), and the conditions are clean and inviting. Another top day.

Wednesday, July 15th, offers more clean surf with a 1.6m ESE swell, 10-second period, and light offshore winds from the NNE. Good stuff.

By Thursday, July 16th, the swell drops below 1m, and by Friday, July 17th, the wind cranks out of the east at 40 km/h in the morning – that’s messy. But Friday afternoon has a surprise: a 2.5m south swell with an 8-second period, but the wind is light and cross-offshore from the ENE. The energy is 1026 (strong), and it’s clean. That’s a wildcard, but it could be a really fun, punchy session for those who like a steeper wave.

Saturday, July 18th, the swell blows up to 4.0m out of the south with onshore winds again – just too big and too messy for this break.

Overall, the first week has the best mix of clean conditions and solid swell. The absolute best on offer are Monday afternoon, July 6th, and that glassy Tuesday morning, July 7th. For the experienced crew, Wednesday morning, July 8th, is a standout. The second week has some clean windows on Monday, July 13th afternoon and Tuesday, July 14th, but those are further out, so less certain.

Rusty.

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