Bribie Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at Bribie Island. I’ve got to be honest with you – the next 16 days are looking pretty quiet. There’s a long stretch of nothing much happening, and the first real window to surf doesn’t show up until the 3rd of August. Even then, it’s not a big one.

The overall pattern is a bummer. The first week is mostly a write-off. We’ve got a run of poor surf conditions and messy winds. The swells are small, and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-shore, keeping things choppy and lumpy. The combined energy of the swells is generally weak, staying in the low double or triple digits, so don’t expect much power.

Let’s break it down. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st of July are both duds. Winds are howling from the south and southeast at 15 to 19 mph, with cross-onshore and cross conditions. The swell is tiny, around 1 ft to 2 ft, and short period. It’s just not worth paddling out.

The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August doesn’t improve. Saturday has rain showers and a fresh breeze from the south-southeast at 19 mph, with a lumpy 3 ft swell. The combined energy is a bit higher (111), but it’s still poor. Sunday morning sees a 5 ft swell from the southeast with a short period of 6 seconds and a moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy spikes to 297, but it’s messy. In the afternoon, the swell drops to 2 ft but the period jumps to 15 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, which can mean better-shaped waves, but with a moderate cross-shore wind, it’s still going to be hard to get a clean one. This setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

Now, we finally get a glimmer of hope on Monday the 3rd of August. The afternoon brings a light breeze from the east at 6 mph, going cross-offshore. The swell is 2 ft from the east-southeast with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is 207 (moderate). The report says “clean” conditions. This is the first time the score pops up as a 2, so if you’re desperate for a surf, this is your best bet. It’s small, but it’ll be clean.

Tuesday the 4th of August morning has a glassy offshore wind from the southwest at 3 mph, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft and the combined energy is only 85 (weak). The afternoon is a bit better: 3 ft from the east with an 8-second period, and a gentle offshore wind from the east-northeast at 9 mph. The combined energy is 115 (moderate), and it’s described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s a 1 out of 10, so not a standout.

After that, from the 5th to the 10th of August, it’s back to a long run of poor surf. The swell stays small, between 1 ft and 3 ft, and the winds are mostly cross-onshore or cross-shore from the south or southeast. The combined energy mostly stays in the weak-to-moderate range. Nothing to get excited about.

The 11th of August has a similar story: a 2 ft swell from the east-southeast with an 11-second period, and a gentle offshore wind from the northeast at 9 mph in the afternoon. The combined energy is 94 (weak), and it’s only a 1 out of 10. Ordinary.

The 12th of August afternoon sees a 3 ft swell from the east-southeast with a 12-second period, and a clean cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is 174 (moderate), but still no standout score.

Finally, the 13th and 14th of August show some promise but it’s far out and uncertain. The 13th of August afternoon has a 2 ft swell from the east with a 13-second period, and a clean cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is 227 (moderate). The 14th of August morning has a 2 ft swell from the east with a 14-second period, and a light cross-shore wind. The combined energy is 318 (moderate). These are both described as “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so it’s a long-range hope at best.

So, to sum it up: the only real window to get a clean wave is the afternoon of the 3rd of August. It’s small, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the period is a quiet, windblown mess. Keep your eyes on the long-range for the 14th, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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