Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Cape Schanck.

The window kicks off with a solid little window on Saturday afternoon, July 18th. That’s your best bet in the whole 16-day outlook, no question. We’ve got a 5ft swell rolling in from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, with good energy and shape. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° warmer than normal for this time of year, so nothing weird there. But the real story is the wind: glassy, dead calm. That’s rare and it’s going to make the reef at Cape Schanck look absolutely pristine. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 880, so there’s enough push to get you into some nice ones. This is an advanced spot, consistent, and it can get crowded, so keep an eye out for company. The 5ft height is solid but not too big for experienced surfers.

After that, Sunday morning the 19th drops right off to a tiny 0.3ft – not worth paddling out for. Sunday afternoon picks up a little to 3ft with a 12-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the north, so it’s clean, but the size is pretty average. You might get a few fun ones if you’re desperate.

Monday the 20th has a bit of swell around 3ft on the morning, but the wind is a moderate breeze from the NNW, so it’s not going to be pretty. The energy jumps to 504, but the conditions are poor. By Tuesday the 21st, it’s almost flat again with 1.0ft and weak energy (36). Not worth it.

Wednesday the 22nd gets messy. Morning sees 4ft SW swell but a fresh cross-shore from the NW at 35 km/h, making for lumpy, choppy conditions. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft but with a short period of 8 seconds and a fresh cross-onshore wind – that’s a washing machine, only for the brave or the kites. The energy is strong at 1112, but the quality is poor.

Thursday the 23rd is a write-off. We’ve got 12ft and 10ft swells, but wind is onshore and strong – near gale on the morning, fresh breeze on the afternoon. Massive energy (4262 and 3567) but it’s blown out. Not for paddle surfing.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th both have 7ft to 8ft SW swells with 13-14 second periods, so a lot of energy (1537 to 2399), but the wind is cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surf marginal. The size is getting into the “experts only” range over 8ft on the 24th, but it’s not clean.

Sunday the 26th drops to 5ft with a 12-second period and moderate cross-off wind – clean but not exciting. Energy is moderate at 551.

Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 28th sees strong to near gale winds, with swell up to 10ft and energy through the roof (4209). All blown out, not for surfing.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th: the 30th morning is a standout. The swell drops to 6ft from the SW with a 13-second period, light breeze from the NNW giving cross-off wind, and the energy is moderate at 983. The conditions are “very good” – clean, glassy. That’s your second best option, but it’s over a week away (July 30th).

Friday the 31st onward fades. Swell drops to 4ft and 3ft with strong winds, not worth it.

Then on Sunday morning, August 2nd, we get a nice little pulse: 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period – that’s very long period groundswell, so it’ll be clean and powerful, especially at this reef. Wind is light offshore from the NNE, so it’ll be glassy. Energy is moderate at 795. That’s a promising long-range option, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, the standout is Saturday afternoon, July 18th – glassy, 5ft, clean. The backup is Thursday morning, July 30th, and the long-range call is Sunday morning, August 2nd. For the rest, it’s mostly wind-affected or too small.

Rusty.

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