Cactus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the next couple of weeks for Cactus. This reef break is pretty exposed to the SW, and that’s exactly where our swell’s comin’ from. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, but there’s a couple of real moments that’ll get your heart pumpin’. The water’s sittin’ at 61°, which is pretty much normal for the time of year, so no need to stress about a wetsuit.

Alright, so we’ve got a gap right at the start. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are a mess. Swell’s there, but the wind’s a killer—cross-on and cross-shore, choppy and lumpy. Not worth paddlin’ out. Friday the 24th is where it starts to turn. That morning, we’ve got a clean 6ft SW swell with a solid 15-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE. The energy’s strong (1436), and for experienced surfers, this is gonna be clean and punchy. That’s a standout.

Saturday the 25th morning is glassy. Zero wind, 4ft of SW swell, 13-second period. The energy’s moderate (437), and it’s gonna be slick. Not a big day, but a fun one if you’re after a cruisy session with no chop. The afternoon gets messy again with that cross-on wind.

Then we hit a dry spell. Sunday the 26th through to Tuesday the 29th—wind’s all over the shop, onshore, cross-off but too strong, and the swell’s either too small or gets blown out. The energy’s weak to moderate, but the conditions are just poor. Wednesday the 30th is a quiet gem. The afternoon has a 4ft SW swell, 13-second period, and a light cross-off breeze from the NE. The energy’s moderate (540), but the forecast says “very good surf conditions.” That’s your second standout for the first week.

The second week gets a bit more interesting. Saturday the 1st of August has a 5ft SW swell with a 16-second period, but the wind’s cross-on, so it’s a bit choppy. Sunday the 2nd has a long-period 4ft to 5ft SW swell, 16-17 seconds, but it’s cross-shore with a slight chop. Not clean, but the energy’s moderate (1002-1001). The real highlight for the second week is Tuesday the 4th of August. That morning, we’ve got a 6ft SW swell, 16-second period, and a gentle offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy’s strong (1643), and it’s described as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a big one, but it’s over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners. The long period means it’ll have power and set gaps, but at a reef, that’s a good thing—clean, lined-up waves.

After that, the swell tails off a bit. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th have 4ft to 4ft SW swell, with some cross-off winds on the 6th morning that’ll keep it clean. The energy’s moderate (631-788). Not a standout, but a solid end to the forecast.

Best bet overall? Friday the 24th of July morning for the clean, strong swell, and Tuesday the 4th of August morning for that offshore, long-period gem. Keep an eye on the 30th, too—it’s a sneaky good one.

Rusty.

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