Bronte Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, straight up, the next two weeks are a real mixed bag, but we’ve got one day that’s absolutely screaming for the crew that can handle it.

We start off this Friday, 31 July, at Bronte Beach. It’s a beach and reef set-up, exposed to the south-east. There’s a solid 7ft south swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW at 12 mph. The water is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much average for late July, nothin’ unusual there. The combined energy is pumping at 1284 (moderate-to-strong), but the wave comment says it’s marginal, and the score is weak. It’s an advanced-only wave, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t expect a packed lineup, but the early morning is your best bet.

Saturday morning 1 August sees the swell drop to 5ft from the SSE, still 9 seconds, with a light SW cross-off. The energy is down to 402, but it’s clean. The afternoon goes glassy – zero wind, dead calm – with 5ft SSE swell. That’s a rare treat, but the waves are small and the period is short, so it’s more of a longboard session for the patient.

Sunday 2 August is the pick of the first week. The morning delivers 4ft of SSE swell, but the period jumps to 11 seconds, turning it into proper groundswell. The combined energy is 723 (moderate), and the wind is a light NNW cross-off. It’s clean, and the longer period means the waves will have more shape and punch. The caveat is that this kind of long-period swell can be a bit straight at a beach break, but Bronte can handle it if the sandbanks are right. The afternoon goes to crap with a NE cross-on at 16 mph and a 5ft SE swell that’s choppy.

From Monday 3 August through to Friday 14 August, it’s a flat spell or junk. There are days with tiny, weak swell (0.7ft to 3ft) and energy readings under 200, mostly with poor conditions. The wind is often offshore or cross-off, but there’s simply no wave height to work with. A couple of days have 5ft to 5ft swell, but the wind is onshore or the period is short, and the comment is “poor” or “marginal.” It’s a long, dry stretch of over a week with nothin’ worth paddling out for.

Then… boom. Saturday 15 August. This is the one. The morning has a massive 16ft SSE swell with an 11-second period. The combined energy is a staggering 5657 (very strong). The wind is a light cross-off from the NW at 6 mph. The water temp is still around average. The comment says “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers,” and the score is a genuine standout. This is not for beginners – 16ft is huge, and it’s only for the experienced crew with big-wave gear. The direction of the swell (SSE) is bang on the optimum for Bronte (SE). The wind is clean, so the sets will be thick and powerful, peaking up on the reef sections. The long period means long lulls between sets, but the energy is insane. The afternoon stays big at 13ft SE, but the wind swings to a NE cross-on at 16 mph, making it choppy and messy. Get your dawn patrol sorted for the 15th, because that morning window is the only real standout in this whole 16-day outlook.

So, to sum it up: a bit of surf this weekend, a long flat spell all next week and into the second week, then a massive, expert-only bomb on the morning of Saturday 15 August. Keep your eyes on that date.

Rusty.

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