Bulli Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: Bulli Beach is looking pretty bleak for a long stretch. We’ve got a quiet run ahead before any real swell shows up, so don’t get your hopes up for the first week or so.

We kick off on Saturday the 25th of July with tiny waves – 1ft from the northeast, period around 9 seconds, and combined swell energy is a weak 19. The water’s sitting at 66°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 3°F above average. That’s a small comfort because the surf is poor, and it stays that way for days. From Saturday the 25th right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, it’s flat or close to it – kneesnappers and ankle-biters, with energy values often in the single digits. The wind is light and sometimes glassy, which would be a treat if there was any swell to work with, but there isn’t. That’s a gap of about 8 days with nothing worth paddling out for.

Monday the 3rd of August finally brings a pulse – 5ft from the east-southeast, period a short 6 seconds, combined energy jumping to 179 (moderate). The morning offers glassy conditions with a light westerly, so it’s clean, but the wave quality is still ordinary. It’s a beach and reef setup here, and with short-period swell, it’ll be a bit lumpy and disorganised. Not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life.

Now, the best on offer – and the one true standout – is Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning has 6ft from the east-southeast, period 8 seconds, and combined energy of 374 (moderate to strong). The wind is light offshore from the north-northwest, so faces will be clean. By afternoon, it gets even better: 6ft from the east, glassy calm, and energy hits 544 (strong). That’s the session to aim for – clean, head-high plus, and with a bit of punch. The optimum swell is from the northeast, so the east-southeast direction is close enough to work well here. It’s an advanced spot, so 6–6ft is solid but not overwhelming for experienced surfers. Keep in mind the period is 8 seconds, so it’s a mix of windswell and groundswell – won’t have the long-lining feel of a bigger period, but it’ll be fun and punchy.

Wednesday the 5th holds decent too – 5ft from the east-southeast, period 8 seconds, clean with light westerly winds, energy around 322–330. Not as strong as Tuesday, but still good. Thursday the 6th morning has 4ft from the east-southeast, period 8 seconds, with offshore northwesterly – clean but smaller. By Thursday afternoon, the period lengthens to 11 seconds (groundswell) from the east, and energy is 346, but northerly winds pick up to 12 mph, making it less ideal. That longer period will favour the reef setup here, but the wind chops it up.

Friday the 7th looks tidy again: 4ft from the east, period 12 seconds (groundswell), with light westerly winds – clean and nice energy of 418. Afternoon goes glassy with 4ft from the east, period 11 seconds, energy 297. That’s a solid couple of days, but Tuesday the 4th is the real winner.

Saturday the 8th sees 6ft from the northeast, period 8 seconds, with light north-northwest winds – clean, but there’s light rain about. Energy is 521 (strong), so there’s plenty of push, and the northeast direction lines up nicely with the optimum. It’s a close second to Tuesday.

By Sunday the 9th, the wind cranks up to 19 mph from the west, with 2ft early and 4ft later from the east, but it’s blown out – poor conditions, even though energy is moderate to strong. That one’s a miss.

All up, don’t bother before Monday the 3rd. The real standout is Tuesday the 4th of August – get out there for the afternoon glass-off. Crowds are possible at Bulli, so go early if you can. Longer term, the second week holds some promise, but the forecasts are less certain that far out.

Stay frothy.
Rusty

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