Bondi Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a look at the next 16 days for Bondi Beach. To be honest, straight off the bat, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. For the first few days we get some small but workable swell, but then it turns into a long, frustrating stretch where the waves either get too messy or just too damn powerful. There’s a glimmer of something good later on, but it’s a fair way off.

The first real surf worth paddling out for is Friday the 10th of July. Friday morning has a 6ft swell out of the SE, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined wave energy of 510 (moderate). It’s a bit cross-on from the south so there’ll be small ripples, but it’s surfable. The highlight comes Friday afternoon though – the wind drops to glassy from the SSE, the swell sits at 5ft from the SE, period 10 seconds, and the energy bumps to 533 (moderate). This is the best on offer in the first week: clean, glassy conditions on a decent, punchy SE swell. It’s a beginner-friendly break, so any level can have a crack.

Saturday the 11th of July stays clean in the morning with a northwesterly cross-off breeze, but the swell drops to 4ft from the SE (period 9 seconds, energy 370). It’s still fun, just smaller. By Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, the swell fades further. We slide into a real lull from Sunday the 12th through to Tuesday the 14th of July, with waves barely breaking – down to 0.7ft and 0.3ft at times. That’s a three-day gap with nothing worth chasing.

Then things get rowdy. Starting Wednesday the 15th of July, a big S/SE swell arrives, but it comes with strong cross-on winds. Wednesday morning has 8ft swell (energy 871 – moderate), but it’s lumpy and fresh cross-onshore. Wednesday afternoon jumps to 12ft (energy 2189 – strong), and it’s just messy. Thursday the 16th gets even bigger – 15ft on Thursday afternoon from the SSE, energy a hefty 3788 (strong). The comments all say poor conditions. This is not for beginners – it’s big, chopped-up, and only for experienced crew who don’t mind a battle.

Friday the 17th of July is the peak of the swell, with 18ft on Friday morning from the SE (period 12 seconds, energy 8219 – very strong). That’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, but the wind is cross-on and the conditions are poor. By Saturday the 18th of July, the swell is still massive (16ft, energy 7312), but the wind swings lighter. Still, it’s too big for Bondi – the report says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Sunday the 19th of July morning has offshore winds from the NNW and a 10ft SE swell (period 11 seconds, energy 1761). That would be a standout if it weren’t also flagged as too big for the break. It’s a frustrating tease.

From Monday the 20th, the swell slowly backs off to 6ft by Monday morning (SE, period 10 seconds, energy 632), but the wind is cross-off and the conditions are marginal. The rest of that week stays small and grotty – 3ft on Tuesday the 21st, 2ft on Wednesday the 22nd. No good options until Thursday the 23rd of July, when a 3ft S swell (period 8 seconds, energy 128) pops up with light clean cross-off winds from the WNW. It’s surfable but very ordinary.

The last real standout is Saturday the 25th of July, a week and a half out. That morning sees a 10ft S swell (period 12 seconds, energy 3011 – strong) with clean cross-off winds from the WNW. The report says the wind and tide are favorable, but again, it’s flagged as too big for Bondi. For a confident, experienced surfer, that offshore, 10ft groundswell is a serious proposition – just be ready for the size.

So if you want the pick of the crop, Friday 10th July afternoon is your best bet for clean, manageable, fun waves. The rest of the forecast is either flat, messy, or simply too big. Keep your eyes on the long range for Saturday the 25th, but don’t bank on it just yet.

Rusty.

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