Blacks Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for your local stretch. Let's get into it.

Alright, we've got a bit of a slow burner here. The first few days are small, but the real talk starts around Thursday the 16th when a proper groundswell starts to build. The standout window is going to be the morning of Tuesday the 21st of July. That's the one you want to circle. Before that, we've got a solid run from late next week into the weekend, but the conditions are a bit mixed.

Blacks Reef is the only game in town, and it's a reef break, so it loves a good long-period swell. It's very consistent, which is a bonus. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so don't forget the booties.

We start off small on Wednesday the 15th. Swell is a tiny 1ft from the ESE with a period of 11 seconds. The energy is weak (50). The morning is clean with a light NW cross-off, but it's not really doing anything. The afternoon goes glassy, but it's still just dribble. Not worth paddling out for.

Thursday the 16th sees a pulse. The morning swell is still small at 2ft, but the period jumps to 15 seconds. That's a proper groundswell. The energy is moderate (224) and the wind is a clean NW cross-off. It's a great session for a log or a longboard. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a stronger WNW cross-shore and the swell picks up to 3ft, but the period is even longer at 17 seconds. The energy jumps to 540, but the cross-shore wind will make it bumpy.

Friday the 17th, the swell is up to 6ft from the SE, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. The energy is strong (1528). The morning is clean with a light WNW cross, but that long period from the SE at a reef can make it a bit tricky, with lulls between sets. The afternoon drops to a cross-on wind, which is never ideal for a reef. This is one for the experienced crew.

Saturday the 18th is still pumping with a 5ft SE swell, period 14 seconds, and energy still strong (1261). The wind is light and cross-shore, so it's surfable, but not perfect. The set waves will be there, but the shape will be a bit average.

Now, Sunday the 19th is a write-off. The wind is howling onshore from the SSW at 15 mph, with a 8ft S swell. It's a washing machine. Don't bother.

Monday the 20th is still big at 7ft from the S, but the wind is cross-onshore in the morning and onshore in the afternoon. It's going to be a choppy, bumpy mess. The energy is very strong (2398), but the quality is poor.

And here's the best of the lot. Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning is a dream. It’s glassy – completely flat wind, with a 6ft S swell and a 13-second period. The energy is still strong (1105). This is the one. The wave quality will be excellent for experienced surfers. The reef will be handling that long period S swell perfectly, offering up some proper, lined-up waves. The afternoon shift sees a light ENE cross-off wind, keeping it clean with the swell dropping to 5ft. It's still very good.

Wednesday the 22nd is a nice follow-up. Glassy again in the morning with a 3ft S swell. The energy is moderate (449). The afternoon stays glassy. Perfect for a fun, easy session.

After that, the swell steadily drops. Thursday the 23rd is clean but small (2ft), and then from Friday the 24th through to the end of the outlook (July 30th), we are looking at a long period of very small, weak surf. From the 24th to the 27th, the swell is consistently under 2ft with low energy. There's a little bump on the 28th and 29th (3ft to 4ft), but the wind is not ideal and the period is short. The last day, Thursday the 30th of July, shows a bit of hope with a glassy morning and a 3ft S swell, but it's a long way out.

So, bottom line: If you are an experienced surfer, Tuesday the 21st of July is your absolute best bet. That glassy morning with the 6ft groundswell at Blacks Reef is the standout. The previous weekend has size, but the wind is a factor. The rest of the second week is mostly a flat spell, though the very end of the month might offer a glimmer.

Rusty.

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