Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a run of good, clean conditions kicking off the forecast period, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag after that. The water’s running a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, about 55°, so a decent wetsuit is the call.

Things get going on Thursday, July 16th, with a small but clean 2ft swell from the ESE at 15 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NW, so it’ll be a nice morning for a longboard or a beginner session. The combined energy is moderate (225). The afternoon turns a bit choppy as the wind swings cross-on, so Friday morning is the one to aim for.

Now, Friday, July 17th is where it gets interesting. We’ve got glassy conditions, a 5ft SE groundswell at 16 seconds, and a solid energy reading (1419). This is excellent for experienced surfers – the reef will be handling that well. The wind is dead calm at dawn with a NW breeze. Saturday, July 18th keeps the quality high with a clean 5ft SE swell in the morning and a glassy 4ft S swell in the afternoon. The afternoon has a very long period (24 seconds) and strong energy (2339), but that long period might make it a bit too straight for the beach if you’re not on the reef. It’s a standout for a point or reef break.

The first weekend wraps up with some decent size but onshore winds. Sunday, July 19th has a 6ft S swell but it’s a bit messy with the cross-on wind. The best window is the Monday, July 20th morning: 5ft S swell, clean, and cross-off wind.

There’s a gap of poor conditions from Tuesday, July 21st through to the end of the month. Tuesday, July 21st is a write-off with rain and onshore wind, and the swell gets too big for anyone but experts (8ft on the afternoon). The next clear opportunity is Wednesday, July 22nd – a glassy 6ft S swell in the morning, which is another good one for experienced surfers. The energy is strong (1230). That’s the pick of the second week.

The end of July and start of August looks small and ordinary. There’s a brief window on the morning of Tuesday, July 28th where a glassy 3ft S swell at 11 seconds offers a clean but small session. The last good call is Friday, July 31st: a clean 4ft SE swell with offshore wind from the N. It’s not a classic, but it’s a nice way to finish the month.

For the standout, I’m calling Friday, July 17th morning at Blacks Reef. The glassy conditions, the 5ft groundswell from the SE, and the strong energy make it the best of the whole run. For a longer session, the Saturday, July 18th afternoon is a close second if you can handle the long period.

Rusty.

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