Bunkers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s slice into this 16-day window. We’ve only got one spot on the radar, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag of conditions, so I’ll take you through what’s on offer.

The overall pattern is a long stretch of surf that’s mostly on the small to moderate side, with a few bigger pulses later on, but the wind is the real story here. It’s going to be a game of patience, waiting for those windows where the breeze drops out or goes favourable.

We kick off on Saturday, the 18th of July. The surf is up, but it’s a bit of a tease. The morning has a 3ft swell out of the WNW with a very long period of 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is sitting at 956, which is moderate. The wind is light and offshore, so the lineup would be clean. The issue is the tide and the general “marginal” call on the forecast. It’s a beginner-friendly break, Bunkers, but it’s not the most consistent. The morning is worth a look for the clean conditions, but don’t expect perfection.

Sunday the 19th picks up. We’ve got a 6ft swell in the morning, building to 7ft in the afternoon, both from the NW. But the period has dropped to 8 seconds, so it’s weaker, windswell. The wind stays light and offshore, but the wave comment flags it as marginal. The combined energy hits 1115 in the arvo, so there’s moderate power. It’s a bit rough around the edges, though.

Monday the 20th is a bit of a write-off. Swell still around 5ft to 6ft from the NW, but the wind goes cross-shore, and the surface will have small ripples. Not the cleanest.

Now, here’s a little gem if you’re paying attention. Tuesday the 21st of July. The swell drops right down to 2ft from the SW, but the period is a long 15 to 16 seconds. The real kicker is Tuesday afternoon: the wind goes glassy, dead calm, 0 mph. The combined energy is only 517, so it’s weak, but the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” For a break like Bunkers, that glassy, clean little groundswell wave is the best on offer. It’s a standout for the quality of the conditions, not the size. If you want a clean, cruisy session, that’s your window.

The rest of that week and into the next is a lot of similar stuff: small swell, cross-onshore breezes, and marginal forecasts. The 24th of July Friday has a big spike in energy in the afternoon with a 3ft swell from the SW but a super long period of 24 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1782, which is strong. But the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. It’s a lot of energy for not much height.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th of July keeps that strong energy (1700 to 1800 range) but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, making it messy. The swell is 3ft to 4ft, all SW groundswell, but the chop will ruin it for paddling. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Into the second week, things get more interesting but less certain. The 28th of July Tuesday afternoon sees a 6ft swell from the SSW with a period of 17 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 2325, which is strong. The wind is onshore, though. The 29th of July Wednesday afternoon has a 8ft swell from the NNW, but it’s short period (9 seconds) and the wind is moderate cross-onshore, so it’s a choppy mess.

The 30th of July Thursday is the biggest in the window, with a 10ft swell from the NNW, but again, short period (9 seconds) and cross-onshore winds. That’s expert territory at that size, and the conditions are not kind. The 1st of August Saturday has a 8ft swell from the NNW, but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s a bit cleaner than the days before, but still not glassy.

Overall, the standout is Tuesday the 21st of July afternoon for the glassy, clean conditions on a small, long-period groundswell. The second standout is the 28th of July Tuesday afternoon for the strong energy and bigger groundswell, but the wind is a problem. It’s a promising but less certain call for the second week.

The water temperature isn’t flagged as an anomaly, so it’s about average for the time of year here at Bunkers.

Rusty.

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