Church Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Church over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, the outlook is pretty grim for the first few days. We’ve got a long, quiet run ahead. From Monday the 6th right through until late in the period, there’s nothing that really gets the heart pumping. The waves are small, mostly around 3ft to 4ft, and the wind is almost always cross-on, which messes up the face. The swell is coming from the SSW, which is okay for this spot, but the energy is low to moderate. The best of that early energy peaks Wednesday morning the 8th with a combined energy reading of 873 – that’s moderate, but still not enough to make it worthwhile with the wind.

It’s not until Sunday the 19th that we see something worth getting out of bed for. Finally, the swell bumps up to 4ft to 5ft from the S, with a period of 13 to 14 seconds – that’s a nice long-period groundswell. The combined energy jumps right up over 1000, reaching 1075 on the Sunday afternoon. That’s strong wave energy, and with light onshore winds from the SSW, it’ll be cleaner than what we’ve been seeing. But let’s be realistic – this is two weeks out, so treat it as promising but not locked in.

Water temperature is sitting at 68°, which is about a touch warmer than normal for the time of year – nothing extreme, just a little pleasant surprise.

Church itself is a beach and point break, exposed to the SW swell, and it breaks very consistently. That said, crowds are always a factor here, so expect company. It’s an advanced wave, too, so if you’re still finding your feet, maybe wait for a smaller day.

If you’re not a surfer, most of these days with small, messy, cross-on conditions will look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: save your energy for Sunday the 19th. The week before is mostly a write-off, with a few marginal moments here and there. I’d be keeping an eye on that S swell and hoping the wind plays nice. Otherwise, it's a quiet spell for Church.

Rusty.

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