Bunbury Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Bunbury Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a rough start. Thursday morning (July 30th) and Friday (July 31st) are pretty rank – onshore winds and junky conditions mean you’re better off staying on the sand for now. We won’t see anything worth paddling out for until Saturday morning (August 1st). There’s a 7ft WSW groundswell (period 15 seconds) rolling in, but the morning has light cross-shore breeze, so it’s not perfect. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a gentle cross-offshore wind from the south, and that same 7ft swell (moderate energy, reading 2218). It's still considered marginal, but it’s the first decent window.

The first real standout hits on Tuesday morning, August 4th. This is the one to circle. The water is sitting at 62°F, which is about 3°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. But the conditions are glassy – absolutely dead calm with a 7ft WSW groundswell pumping in at a very long 17 seconds. The combined swell energy is strong (2766). This is the kind of morning that makes the early alarm worth it. The swell direction matches the optimum for the spot, and with the offshore listed as "ESE" in the guides, that glassy morning should be clean and lined up. Expect some power in those sets, and with the period that long, the gaps between sets will be noticeable – makes paddling out a bit easier, but the waves will be bowling. This session is for experienced surfers; the size and power could be a handful for beginners.

Tuesday afternoon gets messy with onshore wind, but then Wednesday morning (August 5th) sees another 8ft WSW swell (17 seconds, energy 2712). The wind is light and onshore, so it won't be as clean as Tuesday morning, but the swell is there.

The second standout, and the biggest of the forecast, is Friday, August 7th. We’ve got a solid 10ft W swell hitting in the morning (14 seconds, energy 4028) and holding through the afternoon (16 seconds, energy 5133). The wind is cross-shore from the southwest, and the commentary says the wind and tide are favorable. However – and this is a big however – 10ft is expert territory for a spot like this. It’s going to be big, powerful, and won't be for the faint of heart. If you are not an advanced surfer, sit this one out. It’s going to be a show, though.

After that peak, the swell drops a bit but stays solid through the weekend, with Saturday (August 8th) getting ruined by strong onshore winds (25 mph from the SW). That day is a write-off. Sunday (August 9th) has clean conditions again with a light S/SSW breeze and the swell still a hefty 10ft. Again, this is for experts only.

From Monday August 10th onward, the swell backs off into the 6ft to 7ft range, but the winds are mostly cross or onshore, keeping the quality marginal at best. There’s a brief window on Friday August 14th with a light SSW breeze and a 7ft W swell (energy 2373), but it’s still just cross-shore.

The bottom line: The two days to really plan around are Tuesday morning August 4th (glassy, long-period groundswell) and Friday August 7th (big, powerful, for experts only). The rest of the window is a mixed bag of marginal surf or blown-out conditions.

Stay sharp, don't be a hero on the 7th if you're not ready, and I'll see you in the water.

Rusty.

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