Bronte Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down the surf outlook for Bronte Beach. Right now, things are looking pretty grim, but if you’ve got patience, there’s a massive payoff coming in the second week. We’ve got a long dry spell to get through first though.

The first real surf worth mentioning kicks off Thursday the 9th of July, but it’s hardly a winner. Bronte is seeing a 6ft swell from the SE, period at 10 seconds, but the wind is a cross-shore from the SSE at 12 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 599, but the forecast calls it marginal, with a cross-chop messing things up. This one’s for advanced surfers only, and it’s inconsistent, so don’t get your hopes up.

Friday the 10th is a little cleaner in the afternoon with the wind dropping to a light 3 mph cross-shore, still a 5ft SE swell, but the wave energy is moderate at 533. The rain doesn’t help the vibe, and it’s still only a marginal call.

We get a brief window on Saturday morning the 11th with a 4ft SE swell, a cross-offshore NW wind at 9 mph, and clean conditions. Energy is down to 370 though, so it’s small, but at least it’s rideable. That’s as good as it gets for the first week.

Then from Sunday the 12th through to Tuesday the 14th, the swell drops right off to 1ft to 2ft. The energy is weak—between 21 and 104—and the wind is offshore or glassy, but there’s simply no wave to work with. A total blank.

Wednesday the 15th sees a bit of a bump with a 6ft to 8ft S swell, but the wind is howling cross-shore at 28 mph, making it a messy, choppy mess. Not worth it.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. From Thursday the 16th of July, the swell starts to build. Thursday morning brings a 15ft SSE swell with a period of 10 seconds, clean conditions with a cross-offshore SSW wind at 16 mph. The energy is strong at 3765. This is still for experts only—this size is way too big for beginners. The wind stays cross-shore into the afternoon, making it lumpy, but the size is there.

The real standout is Saturday the 18th of July. Morning session: a 20ft SSE swell, period at a very long 12 seconds, with a light cross-offshore SSW wind at 3 mph. The combined energy is a massive 9412, and the forecast calls it exceptional for expert surfers. This is a groundswell with serious power, and the period is long enough to stack up beautifully at Bronte’s beach and reef setup. The wind is near glassy, so the waves will be clean and lined up. This is the pick of the entire forecast. Afternoon drops to 15ft SE, but the wind goes cross-shore, so stick to the morning.

Sunday the 19th morning is another cracker: 18ft SSE swell, 12-second period, clean with a cross-offshore NW wind at 9 mph. Energy is 9065. Again, only for experts, but if you’re up for it, this is world-class stuff. The afternoon gets ruined by a strong cross-onshore wind.

The swell backs off through the following week, with Monday the 20th afternoon offering a 8ft SE swell, 11-second period, clean with a light offshore, good for experienced surfers. Energy is 1505. Then it drops back to smaller, messier conditions by the end of the period.

Water temperature is sitting at 64°F, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Crowds at Bronte can be a problem, especially when the swell gets big like this, so expect it to be busy on those standout days.

Bottom line: the first week is a write-off. The real action is from Thursday the 16th through to Monday the 20th, with Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th mornings being the absolute best—if you’re an expert.

Rusty.

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