Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the surf for Castles over the next couple of weeks. Bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a couple of windows worth paddlin’ out for if you’re keen.

The outlook starts off with a bit of size on Wednesday the 22nd, but it’s not quite clean enough to get too excited about. The best bet by a long shot is shaping up for Tuesday the 28th. That’s the standout. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 76°, so you’ll be comfy in a spring suit.

We’ll start with Wednesday the 22nd. Morning has a solid 6ft swell from the SSW, with a period of 8 seconds, coming in with moderate wave energy (485). The wind’s a cross-off from the WSW at 12 mph, which keeps it clean, but the wave comment calls it marginal. The afternoon drops to 5ft from the S, still a cross-off, 9 mph wind, and the comment says “expect good surf conditions” – that’s your best chance for the first few days, but it’s not a high-scoring session.

Thursday the 23rd drops right off. 3ft in the morning with a cross-off from the NNE, but the comment says poor surf. The wind shifts onshore in the afternoon, and it’s a write-off. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are all poor, with messy onshore or cross-shore winds and small, short-period junk. The swell energy is low, under 160. Sunday the 26th morning goes glassy, with a light ESE breeze at 3 mph, and a tiny 2ft SE swell – it’s surfable but very ordinary. Monday the 27th is flat and poor.

Now, hang on for Tuesday the 28th. That’s the one. Morning brings a 7ft swell from the SSW, 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 820 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is a clean cross-off from the WSW at 12 mph, keeping it tidy. The comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” but look, that’s the biggest swell of the whole run and it’s clean. That’s your best shot. The afternoon drops to 4ft but still clean.

After Tuesday the 28th, it’s a long dry spell. Wednesday the 29th through Sunday the 3rd of August is mostly poor, with small waves and onshore or cross-shore winds. The swell energy stays below 230, and most days are scored as poor surf. The morning of Friday the 31st of July goes glassy with a 3ft S swell, but it’s weak. Monday the 3rd of August morning has a 2ft S swell with a 9-second period and a clean cross-off from the NNE, but it’s tiny. After that, it’s flat and poor all the way through to Wednesday the 6th of August.

So, the one true standout is Tuesday the 28th of July, morning session. The 7ft SSW swell with a clean cross-off wind is the best on offer. It’s a bit of size, so it’s not for beginners – over 5ft is a step up. The rest of the run is a long gap of poor to flat conditions. It’s a fairly consistent break, so this dry spell might feel a bit long, but forecasts can change. Stay tuned.

Rusty.

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