Blue Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at what’s shaping up for Blue Bowls over the next couple of weeks. There’s a bit of a slow start, but once it gets going, there are some proper gems to get excited about.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid run from Saturday morning, July 11 through to Monday afternoon, July 13. The water’s sitting at a warm 86°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Blue Bowls is a reef break that’s consistent and exposed to the swell, and it’s showing its best early on. Saturday morning kicks off with a clean 4 ft S swell, period hanging around 12 seconds, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW. The energy’s moderate (430), and the conditions are clean – that’s a real nice start to the weekend. Saturday afternoon gets a bit of a bump with a risk of thunderstorms, but the wind swings NNW and goes offshore, so the waves stay clean around 4 ft. Sunday morning is still clean with a cross-off breeze, and by Sunday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the S, period still 12 seconds, and the energy jumps to 573. That’s the pick of the early sessions – clean, fun waves with a bit more punch.

Monday morning, July 13, sees the swell swinging to SSE at 5 ft, period 11 seconds, and the energy ramps up to 777. The wind stays cross-off from the W, so it’s still tidy. Monday afternoon pushes the swell to 5 ft SSE, energy hitting 819, and the wind remains cross-off. That’s the standout of the first week – 5 ft of clean, consistent groundswell with light offshore winds. It’s not too big for intermediates, but it’s got enough grunt to keep things interesting.

From Tuesday, July 14, things start to get a bit messy. The wind shifts cross-shore, and the swell mix gets a bit jumbled. Tuesday morning has a 5 ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, but the cross-shore breeze creates a slight chop. The energy is still solid (791), but the quality drops. By Wednesday, the wind turns cross-onshore, and the swell swings to SSW at 4 ft with a 15-second period – that long period means better shaped waves, but the cross-onshore wind chops it up. The energy is high (937), but the conditions are marginal. This pattern of cross-onshore winds and choppy surf continues right through to the end of the week, with a bit of a low point on Friday, July 17, when the wind goes onshore and the swell drops to 3 ft. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, there’s a bit of a gap in quality from Tuesday, July 14 through to about Monday, July 20. The surf is there, but the wind and chop make it a grind. Hold out for the next real standout.

That comes on Wednesday, July 22. The morning session is the highlight of the whole outlook. The swell is 3 ft from the SSW, but the period is a very long 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind goes glassy, absolutely flat calm, and the combined energy is a strong 1051. The wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. At a reef break like Blue Bowls, that long-period swell will peel beautifully, but it’s only 3 ft, so it’s not huge. The glassy conditions will make it silky smooth. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a week and a half away, so there’s some uncertainty, but the signs are promising.

Thursday, July 23, also has some potential with a 4 ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and a light cross-shore breeze from the ENE. The energy is very strong (1237), and the conditions are clean with only small wind ripples. That’s a solid backup session.

The last real highlight is Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26. Saturday morning has a 4 ft SE swell, 9-second period, with a cross-offshore breeze from the NNE – clean waves. Saturday afternoon drops to 2 ft SSW with a 15-second period, and the wind goes light, keeping it clean. Sunday morning, July 26, is glassy again with a 3 ft SSW swell, 13-second period, and the energy is moderate (594). That’s a lovely way to wrap up the outlook.

The crowds at Blue Bowls can be a thing sometimes, so expect a few others out when it’s good, especially on the standout days. If you’re after the best, aim for Monday afternoon, July 13, or that Wednesday morning, July 22. The mid-week period from July 14 to 20 is mostly marginal, so don’t stress if you miss a few days.

Rusty.

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