Buckleys Reef (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We are looking at a long 16-day window for Buckleys Reef (Wilsons Promontory), and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on the 31st of July, Friday afternoon. It's a small one, with a 2ft swell from the SW and a 12-second period, but the 6 mph W wind is cross-on, making it a bit messy. The combined energy is only 160, so it's weak. I’d call it a warm-up, not a standout.

The real bright spot, and the best on offer in the first week, hits on Saturday, the 1st of August. The morning is clean with a light NNE cross-off breeze at 3 mph, but the swell is tiny at 1ft. The afternoon, though, is where it’s at. The wind swings to a glassy SW at 3 mph, and the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW with a very long 18-second period. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 448. That long period groundswell will wrap around the reef nicely, offering clean, well-shaped little waves. It will be a bit inconsistent between sets, but paddling out will be a breeze. This is the pick of the early days.

Sunday the 2nd stays rideable, with a 3ft SW swell and a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-shore from the NNW and NW, which will put a bit of a bump on the surface. Not bad, but not as clean as Saturday.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Monday the 3rd all the way through to Thursday the 6th, the wind is a problem. Strong onshore and cross-onshore winds, with a few days of rain and storms, make for poor surf. The swell gets a bit bigger, hitting 5ft to 6ft, and the combined energy spikes to a strong 1155 on Monday, but it’s all wind-slapped and messy. A kite surfer might get a kick out of it, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off. There’s a solid 4-day gap here with nothing worth chasing.

The next real opportunity comes on Friday the 7th of August. The morning is clean again with a light NNE cross-off breeze at 3 mph, and a 2ft SW swell with a 15-second period. The combined energy is a solid 412. It’s small, but it’ll be tidy. The afternoon goes glassy again with a light S wind, though the swell drops a touch to 2ft.

Saturday the 8th is a bit of a repeat: small, clean, but nothing special. The wind stays light and cross-off from the NNE.

The second week gets more interesting, but also more uncertain. Sunday the 9th is a write-off with strong NW winds. Monday the 10th sees a big jump in size, with a 7ft W swell and a 14-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-shore from the NW at 19 mph. The combined energy is a massive 2150, but the conditions are lumpy. This is really only for the experts, and even then, it won't be easy. The wind gets even worse through Tuesday and Wednesday.

The most promising spot in the second week, but still a long-range call, is Friday the 14th of August. The afternoon looks good with a glassy SW wind at 3 mph and a 8ft swell from the WSW with a 12-second period. The combined energy is a very strong 1455. That’s a solid, powerful swell. If it cleans up, the reef will hold it well, but watch out – that size is for experienced surfers only. It’s a promising outlook, but keep your fingers crossed.

Saturday the 15th still has some size, with a 6ft WSW swell and a 16-second period, and the wind looks favorable in the afternoon with a light onshore SW breeze. The combined energy sits at 1437. It could be a good end to the run.

So, the standout is the glassy Saturday afternoon on the 1st of August. The second best is the long-range call for Friday the 14th. Keep an eye on the wind, and you'll find some gems.

Stay stoked.
Rusty.

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