Chapadmalal Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for us.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this stretch is a real mixed bag, and mostly a quiet one. We're looking at a long, dry spell with nothing to get excited about for the first week and a half. The water is sitting at 51°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's out of the ordinary.

From Wednesday the 22nd right through to the end of July, it's a frustrating run of tiny, weak swells. We're talking about wave heights barely pushing 3ft, and the energy is just pathetic – the combined energy reading is often under 100 (75), which is basically nothing. Plus, the wind is all over the place, mostly cross-off or onshore, and never giving us that clean, groomed face we're after. There’s a bit of a tease on the morning of Friday the 31st of July, with a little 3ft swell from the ENE and a light offshore breeze from the NW. The energy jumps a bit to 117, but it's still just "surfable but very ordinary." That afternoon, the wind goes glassy (5 km/h from the S), but the swell drops a touch. It’s a window, but not a standout.

The real highlight, the only one worth circling on the calendar, is Sunday the 2nd of August. Chapadmalal is going to wake up to a solid 8ft swell from the SSW, with a long period of 13 seconds – that's proper groundswell. The energy reading is a massive 3382, so there's a heap of power in the water. The wind is cross-off from the N, which should keep things reasonably clean. Now, a word of caution for the beginners: at 8ft, this is getting into expert-only territory. It's a powerful, long-period swell that will be pushing hard, and at a point break like this, the sets will be well-defined and packing a punch. For the crew who know what they're doing, this is the best we've got. The morning is the pick, with the afternoon holding similar size but a slightly shorter period.

After that, it drops back down. Monday the 3rd still has a chunky 7ft swell, but it's getting messy with a strong NNE breeze, and the energy is dropping. By Tuesday the 4th, we're back to smaller, more manageable 4ft waves, but nothing special.

So, here's the bottom line: if you're a beginner, save your energy. For the experienced crew, keep your eyes on Sunday the 2nd of August for the best chance at a proper session. It's a long wait, but it might just be worth it.

Rusty.

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