Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s see what this 16-day stretch has in store for us.

Alright, the first few days are pretty quiet – a gentle start with some small, clean waves on Monday the 13th. Conditions are nice but the swell is modest. The real action, though, starts to build later in the week. The standout window is shaping up to be from Friday the 17th right through to Monday the 20th. That’s where the magic is.

Let’s start with the early call. Monday the 13th at Blacks Reef is a nice little warm-up. We’re looking at a clean 3ft of south swell with a 10-second period, perfect for a beginner-friendly reef break. The wind is light and either cross-off or offshore, so the surface will be smooth. The wave energy is moderate (255) and dropping a bit in the afternoon, but it’s a good, easy session.

Tuesday the 14th drops off a bit. The swell drops to 2ft, still from the south, but the period stretches to 12 seconds. The morning is clean with offshore wind, but it’s ordinary. The afternoon gets even smaller. Wednesday the 15th is tiny – 1ft ESE swell, with glassy conditions in the afternoon. Not much to work with.

Thursday the 16th gets a bit messy. Wind picks up from the west-northwest, and we get a mix of swells. The energy jumps to 463 in the afternoon, but the cross-shore wind and 17-second period from the south-east will make it lumpy and tricky to read at this reef. Not a great day.

Now, here’s where it gets good. Friday the 17th is the first true standout. We’ve got a solid 5ft of south-east groundswell, with a very long 16-second period. The energy is strong (1204 in the morning, 2224 in the afternoon). And the wind… glassy. Both morning and afternoon. This is the kind of day that has you calling in sick. The water temp is about average for July, so a normal summer wetsuit or just a spring suit will do. For a beginner spot, 5ft is getting a bit big, but for experienced surfers, it’s excellent. The swell direction is south-east, which is mixing with the optimum south swell, so it’ll be working well.

Saturday the 18th is a letdown. The swell holds at 5ft, but the wind swings onshore and gets strong (35 km/h in the afternoon with rain). That’s a mess. The reef will be choppy and blown out. A day to stay home.

Sunday the 19th is another absolute winner. The swell drops slightly to 4-4ft, but it’s a pure south swell with a very long 21-second period in the morning. The energy is huge (1612). The morning has light offshore wind from the north, and the afternoon is dead calm – glassy. This is a dream session. The long period will make the waves powerful and clean, with long waits between sets. At Blacks Reef, that’s a beautiful thing.

Monday the 20th is the third standout. Back to 5ft of south swell, 19-second period, and glassy conditions in the morning. The energy is intense (2191). The morning is perfect. The afternoon gets a light cross-onshore, so take the morning off.

The week after that gets a bit more ordinary. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd have 5-6ft of south swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it lumpy. The energy is still strong (up to 1956), but the quality drops. Not worth the paddle-out for most.

Thursday the 23rd through Saturday the 26th is a poor stretch. Onshore winds, rain, and messy conditions. The swell drops to 3-4ft, but the wind is rubbish. The energy is moderate to weak. A skip.

Then we get a little pulse on Sunday the 26th. The morning is glassy again with 4ft of south swell, 11-second period. The energy is moderate (535). It’s a decent, clean option, but not as powerful as the big week. The crowd at Blacks Reef is often there, so expect company.

The final days, Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th, are back to small, clean 2-3ft waves. A nice, gentle finish for the beginners.

The real highlight is the Friday the 17th through Monday the 20th window. If you can only pick one, Sunday the 19th is the best of the bunch – the combination of that long-period south swell, glassy conditions, and manageable size is as good as it gets.

Rusty.

Read more