Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet start around Castles, a solid reef break that works best on a WSW swell. The water temperature is sitting at a pretty standard 61°, nothing unusual there. For the Saturday morning, we’ve got a clean little 3ft SW swell with a period of 13 seconds, and a moderate cross-offshore breeze from the north – that’ll keep things tidy. The energy is weak (215), so it’s not going to be pumping, but it’s rideable. That’s really the only surf on offer for the opening weekend and into Monday. Sunday and Monday are marginal at best, with a drop in size and the same cross-off wind, so don’t expect much.

Tuesday the 22nd brings a pulse of swell, but it’s accompanied by a strong cross-onshore wind from the SSW at 15-18 mph, making conditions choppy and poor. Wednesday the 23rd sees the swell push up to 7ft from the SW, with a period of 14 seconds and moderate cross-shore wind – lumpy, but there’s some energy (1728). Still, not a recommended session.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Friday the 24th, the wind swings offshore from the NE at 9 mph, and we get a 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period. The wave energy jumps up to 1006, and the conditions are forecast to be clean. That’s a standout morning for experienced surfers. The swell is on the bigger side for a reef break, but the offshore wind will really clean it up.

The next real highlight isn’t until the end of the month. For the Friday morning of July 31st, we’ve got an exceptional session on the cards. A 10ft SW swell with a 17-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell – combined with a moderate offshore wind from the ENE at 12 mph. The combined swell energy is a massive 5064. This is expert territory only; that’s a serious swell. The long period will produce really well-shaped, powerful lines down the reef, but it will be heavy and the sets will be widely spaced. Not one for the faint-hearted.

Following that, the Saturday morning of August 1st still looks good, with a 7ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and light offshore wind. Energy is still strong (1943) and conditions should be clean for experienced surfers.

For the second week, the quality drops off. Sunday the 2nd and beyond see the wind turning cross-onshore again, and while there’s still plenty of swell energy around, the conditions become poor or marginal. It’s a case of getting on it while the winds are favourable in that last week of July.

Be aware, Castles can get busy, especially when the conditions clean up like that, so expect company on those good days.

Rusty.

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