Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Blacks Reef over the next couple of weeks.

We've got a bit of a slow start, but things are looking up, especially if you're a confident surfer. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with small, weak swell and tricky winds. The water temperature is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you'll want a decent wetsuit.

Thursday afternoon the 23rd kicks things off with a tiny 2ft south swell, but it's clean with a light offshore. The energy is weak (130), so it's more of a paddle-around session than anything to get excited about. Friday and Saturday are a write-off with messy, cross-shore winds and poor surf.

Sunday morning the 26th shows a bit more life. A 4ft SE groundswell with a long 14-second period starts to build, and the energy is moderate (946). The cross-onshore wind isn't ideal, but it's light. This swell builds into the afternoon, hitting 7ft from the south, but the period drops to 9 seconds, and it's onshore, making it a bit of a messy affair.

The real sparkle comes on Wednesday the 29th. We’ve got a solid 5ft to 6ft ESE swell, with a long 12 to 13-second period pushing in. The wind is light and offshore from the north and northeast, making for clean, glassy conditions. The energy is strong (730 to 940). This is a good window for experienced surfers looking for a quality wave at Blacks Reef.

Now, the standout – and I mean *the* standout – is Sunday the 2nd of August. After a few days of building swell, we get a beautiful 8ft to 8ft S swell with a nice 11-second period. The wind is dead calm, glassy as a mirror. The energy is very strong (1734 to 1482). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but at that size, it's a crowd-magnet and definitely not for beginners. The reef will be working, but the long period groundswell can make it a bit straight at times.

Monday the 3rd of August sees a drop in size, but we get a clean 6ft SE swell with offshore winds on the afternoon, making for another good session. After that, the forecast gets a bit gnarly. From the 6th of August, a massive swell rolls in, hitting 21ft from the southeast with howling onshore winds. The energy is extreme (13658). That's a full-on, dangerous, expert-only situation, and with the wind, it'll be a washing machine. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, in short: the best bet is the 29th of July, and the absolute standout is the 2nd of August. The week after that is for the hardcore only.

Rusty.

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