Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got coming up for Cape Schanck.

The outlook kicks off Monday afternoon, the 6th of July, with some promising conditions. We’ve got a 4ft SW swell, period of 14 seconds – that’s a solid groundswell with nice energy for the reef. Winds are glassy from the SSW at just 3 mph, so the surface will be smooth as a mirror. Water temp is 58°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus. The combined swell energy is moderate at 730, and overall, it’s a clean, very good setup to start the period. Crowds can be likely here, though, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quiet session.

Tuesday morning the 7th looks clean again with a 3ft SW swell and a very long 17-second period, offshores from the NE at 6 mph. That long period will really juice up the waves at this reef, making for some well-shaped, powerful lines. Paddling out should be easier between sets. Come Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings SE, going cross-shore, and the swell picks up to 5ft with a 16-second period, but the wind and tide conditions get a bit questionable – I’d stick to the morning if you can.

Now, Wednesday the 8th of July – this is the standout. The morning session is where it’s at. We’re looking at a 5ft SW swell with a ripping 19-second period, meaning very long period groundswell. The combined energy is a strong 2403, and with light offshores from the ENE at 6 mph, you’ll have clean, groomed faces. This is excellent quality for experienced surfers – the wave direction is right in the optimum SE slot for the break. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 7ft, but the cross-shore wind from the SE makes it a bit lumpy, so morning is the clear winner.

Thursday the 9th stays decent, with a 5ft SW swell and 16-second period in the morning, cross-off winds from the north, and then glassy conditions again in the afternoon with a clean 4ft swell. Friday the 10th offers more of the same – 5–5ft SW swells with 15-second period, though the wind picks up a bit. Still very surfable.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Saturday the 11th through to Sunday the 19th of July, the wind really gets up, mostly strong to near-gale force and onshore. There are a couple of bigger swells in there – like Monday the 13th with a huge 15ft SW swell and extreme energy at 9498 – but the wind is just terrible, blowing it all out. That stretch is mostly a write-off for paddle surfing. The setup during that big wind swell on the 13th and 14th looks far more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

After that gap, we get a late window on Thursday the 16th of July. Morning has a solid 7ft SW swell with 13-second period, cross-off wind from the NNW at 6 mph, and clean conditions – excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is glassy with a 6ft SW swell. This is your other standout in the period, but it’s well into the second week, so less certain to lock in. The crowd factor at Cape Schanck is always something to be aware of.

In short: hit Wednesday morning the 8th of July for the best of the run, with Thursday the 16th also looking promising if you can wait that long. The rest is largely blown out or too windy.

- Rusty

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