Church Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Church (beach and point). It’s a spot that sees a lot of action, very consistent, but the next few weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 71° right now, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – you’ll be shedding the steamer for sure.

The first few days are pretty underwhelming. Sunday the 19th kicks off with a 3 ft SW swell, but we’ve got a light cross-onshore breeze and the combo energy is only moderate (812). It’s a marginal call, nothing to get excited about. Monday and Tuesday keep the same sort of vibe – small SW to SSW swells around 3 ft to 4 ft, winds are light but often cross-onshore, and the energy stays in the moderate range. The outlook is consistently “marginal” through to Thursday the 23rd.

Friday the 24th morning is a bit of a tease. A very long period SW groundswell at 24 seconds rolls in, only 2 ft, but the energy jumps right up to strong (1132). That long period means it’ll be lining up nicely at the point, but the size is tiny. A light cross-onshore breeze doesn’t help. The afternoon picks up to 4 ft, but the period drops right back. It’s still not a standout.

Now, the real hope starts brewing from Saturday the 25th. The swell direction locks into the SW, which is exactly what Church likes to see. Waves around 3 ft, but with periods of 19 to 21 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind goes light and onshore or variable, keeping things clean. The combined energy is strong (996 to 1087). This is promising, but don’t get carried away; the size is small.

The highlight of the whole run looks like Monday the 27th. We’ve got a 4 ft SSW swell with a long 18-second period, and the combined energy is strong (1141). The winds are light and onshore in the morning, which could glass off. The afternoon gets a touch of cross-onshore, but the morning is the session to aim for. This is the best on offer, but it’s still a marginal call overall.

Tuesday the 28th keeps the 4 ft SSW swell going with a 17-second period, and the energy stays strong (1139). There’s a gentle cross-onshore though, so it won’t be as clean.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th settle back into smaller, less exciting surf with moderate energy. From Friday the 31st through to Saturday the 1st of August, the swell bumps up to 5 ft to 6 ft, which is getting into the zone where it’s too big for beginners, but still fine for the advanced crew. The period drops to 13-14 seconds, so it’s a more manageable, shorter period swell. The energy is strong (up to 1106). Winds are light and mostly onshore or light cross-onshore, so the conditions could be okay.

After that, it all fades. Sunday the 2nd drops to 4 ft, Monday the 3rd is tiny at 2 ft, and the energy plummets. The last few days are poor. So, the window is open from the 25th, with the best chance being the morning of Monday the 27th. It’s a light crowd at Church, but with it being “always” busy, expect company. The long period swells here are a bonus for the point, so keep your eyes on that.

Rusty.

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