Boneyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let's have a good hard look at what's comin' our way. Just Boneyards (Boneyards_2) on the menu for this stretch, and it's a classic exposed reef setup that ain't for the faint-hearted. The water's a touch nippy at 62.9°, about 3.4° colder than usual for this time of year – a bit of a shock if you're not used to it.

We've got no solid surf on the immediate horizon, but things start to wake up from Wednesday, July 8th. It's not going to be pretty though. Wednesday morning sees a thumping 8.2 ft SW groundswell (13-second period) with the combined swell energy at 2056 – that's proper strong. The wind's howling at 12 mph from the west, cross-off, so it's clean but it's a raw, big-wave reef day. Honestly, the forecast flags this as marginal, and for most of us, that's a "maybe next time." By Wednesday afternoon, the wind is pumping up to 19 mph, swell pushes to 9.8 ft, and the energy jumps to 3066. Strong winds and a beefy 9.8 ft+ swell on an advanced reef break? This is pure expert territory, and even then, you'll be working for it.

Thursday the 9th doesn't let up. Another hefty 11.5 ft SW swell (14-second period) rolls in with energy at 4199. Wind is WSW at 16 mph, still cross-off, keeping the surface clean, but it's wall-to-wall power. Thursday afternoon drops slightly to 9.8 ft but the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph. Still a big, mean ocean.

The standout of the first week is Friday, July 10th. Friday morning is a solid 11.5 ft from the SSW (13 seconds) with energy at 4228, and clean with a light W wind. But Friday afternoon is where it gets tasty: 11.5 ft SSW swell, energy at 3694, and the wind drops to a light 6 mph from the SW, still cross-off. The report calls this "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That 11.5 ft is still a big wave for a reef, but the combination of a light breeze and long-period groundswell makes this the pick of the week for the crew who can handle it. Crowds are possible here – it gets busy on a quality day like this.

Saturday the 11th gets messy. Swell drops to 8.2 ft, but the wind swings ENE at 6 mph becoming light cross-onshore in the morning, then strengthening to 9 mph from the east by the arvo, turning the surface choppy. Not worth paddling out. Sunday the 12th is a write-off: 5.2-5.6 ft of choppy, cross-onshore junk.

We hit a quiet spell from Monday the 13th through Wednesday the 15th. Small 3.3-3.9 ft easterly windswell with short periods (8-10 seconds) and weak energy (250-440). The waves are clean but tiny – not enough to get excited about.

Thursday, July 16th shows a flicker of hope. A 6.2 ft SW swell (9 seconds) comes in with a light WNW offshore wind at 6 mph, creating "very good surf conditions." The energy is a moderate 806.

Friday the 17th turns on the power again – 9.8 ft SW swell (12 seconds) but with a 19 mph SW cross-off wind. That much wind on a 9.8 ft swell makes it gnarly and hard to manage. Saturday the 18th drops to 7.2 ft but the east wind turns it ugly and choppy.

The real late-week standout is Tuesday, July 21st. Tuesday morning sees a clean 3.9 ft SW groundswell with a light offshore WNW wind at 12 mph, reported as "very good surf conditions." But it's Tuesday afternoon that gets the heart racing: a 4.9 ft SSW swell with a *very long* 16-second period, combined swell energy at 1809. The wind is a moderate 16 mph from the SW, cross-off, keeping the faces clean. That period is properly long – the sets will be widely spaced with heaps of energy, making paddling out easier, but on a reef it'll stand up tall and hollow.

Then the biggest standout of the whole outlook hits on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morning at Boneyards: a 5.6 ft SSW groundswell (13 seconds), combined energy of 981, and the wind is a dead *glass-off* from the east at just 3 mph. That's flat-calm conditions, glassy surface, perfect for a reef break. The report calls it "very good surf conditions." This is the session to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets ruined by a 12 mph easterly onshore, so make sure you're out there first thing.

Thursday, July 23rd closes it out with another big pulse: a 9.8 ft SW swell (11 seconds) and a clean, light cross-off breeze in the afternoon, the report calling it "excellent surf conditions for experienced

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