Canova Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watchin’ this stretch of coast for a long time. Lookin’ at the next 16 days, I gotta be straight with ya – it’s a quiet stretch. We’re lookin’ at a full week of tiny, messy conditions before we even get a sniff of something surfable. The whole first week from Saturday the 18th through to Friday the 25th of July is pretty much a write-off for a proper paddle. The swell is small, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore making it choppy and uninviting. The combined swell energy is weak, rarely crackin’ 100 (values like 14, 15, 35, 12), so there’s just no grunt in the water.

The first real chance to wet a line comes on Saturday morning, the 25th of July, at Canova Beach. The swell is tiny at 2 ft from the east with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is still only moderate at 54. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph, which will keep the surface clean. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so we’re talkin’ small, weak rollers. Not a standout, but it’s the first thing that’s not a total loss. The water temp is 84°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.2°F, so it’s pretty average for this time of year – warm and tropical.

We get another small window on Sunday morning the 26th of July, again at Canova Beach. Similar story: 2 ft from the east, 8 seconds, combined energy low at 41, with a light WSW cross-offshore wind at 6 mph keeping it clean. Again, “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s tiny, but it’s clean.

Then we hit a long gap. From Sunday afternoon the 26th right through to Wednesday the 30th of July, conditions are poor or just too small. The wind picks up, with strong offshore breezes, but the swell drops right off to 1.0 ft or 1 ft. The combined energy plummets (values like 20, 21, 23, 14, 13). It’s a total blank.

The best of the whole 16-day run, and I’d call it the only true standout, is Thursday morning the 30th of July at Canova Beach. The swell is 1 ft from the NE with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is still weak at 31. The wind is a solid offshore from the WSW at 16 mph, which will clean things right up. The report says “poor surf conditions” but with that offshore wind, it’s about as clean as you’ll see for such tiny waves. It’s more of a longboard or funboard session, and the short period (7 seconds) means the waves won’t have much push. The water is still that warm 84°F.

Thursday afternoon the 30th of July is possibly the next best call. The swell picks up to 2 ft from the NE, still 7 seconds, combined energy at 47. The wind is offshore from the W at 16 mph, and the report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s clean, but still small.

After that, we’re back to small, choppy conditions for the first few days of August. The morning of the 1st of August has a clean 2 ft from the NE, but the afternoon turns into a cross-onshore mess. The 2nd of August is a washout.

So, to wrap it up: we’ve got a long, slow start with no surf for the first week. The best call is Thursday the 30th of July, with a clean offshore wind and tiny but rideable swell. It’s not a day for the brochure, but it’s the pick of a very quiet crop. Keep your expectations low and your longboard handy.

Rusty.

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