Carola Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee, mate, 'cause I gotta level with ya – this forecast for Carola is a tough one. It’s a reef setup for advanced surfers, and it’s fairly consistent, with an easterly offshore. But the numbers are telling a sad story for the next two weeks. We’ve got a massive gap coming, especially from the middle of the period. The first week is basically a write-off, and then there’s a long stretch of flatness before a flicker of hope right at the end.

The first proper mention of any swell is Tuesday morning the 7th. It’s tiny – just 0.3 ft from the NW with a 10-second period. The wind is a cross-off from the SE at 16 mph, which keeps the surface clean, but honestly, with a combined energy of only 7, you’re not paddling out for that. The water is a very unusual 79°, which is 8° warmer than normal for the time of year, so the tropics are definitely influencing things, but the waves aren't there to enjoy it.

That theme continues through the whole first week and into the second. Tuesday the 7th through to Sunday the 13th of July is barely a ripple. Tuesday the 14th shows a tiny 2 ft from the south but with a period of just 3 seconds – that’s wind slop, not surf. The combined energy is 5. It’s poor.

Then from Sunday the 12th of July all the way through to Monday the 20th of July, the wave heights flatline completely. We’re looking at days of zeros. It’s a long, quiet stretch.

Now, hold onto your board – there’s a glimmer way out there. On Tuesday the 21st of July, we get a pulse. The morning shows 1.0 ft from the NW, but the period jumps to 19 seconds – that’s a very long-period groundswell. The combined energy hits 72, which is weak but the highest we’ve seen in this entire window. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSE at 13 mph. That’s the standout, but it’s a long way off and still tiny. For a reef break, that long period can mean lined-up, juicy waves, but at 1.0 ft, it’s a micro-session at best. Wednesday the 22nd looks similar with 1.0 ft at 18 seconds and 49 combined energy, also with clean cross-off winds.

So, for the next week and a half, don’t bother. The only real shot, and it’s a long-range one, is that Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd of July. Keep an eye on it, but don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

Read more