Church Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. The start of the window has a bit of swell, but the wind has been a real pain for the most part. We’re looking at a solid run of surf from Monday the 27th of July through to Saturday the 1st of August, but it’s not all clean. After that, it goes quiet for a long stretch – from Sunday the 2nd of August right through to the end of the window on the 11th of August, the waves just drop away and there’s nothing worth a paddle.

The standout here is Church, a beach and point break that’s very consistent and always busy. It’s an advanced wave, so don’t take it lightly. The first few days have the most energy. On Monday morning the 27th of July, Church is seeing a solid 4ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period. That’s proper groundswell with heaps of energy (1126), and although the wind is onshore, it’s only a light 6 mph from the SW, so the surface won’t be too chopped. The water is a warm 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice surprise.

The real pick of the whole period is Monday the 27th of July. The swell size is 4ft, the direction is SSW, and the period is 18 seconds. That’s long-period groundswell, which means powerful, well-shaped lines. Because it’s a point break, it’ll handle that long period beautifully. The wind is light and onshore, but it’s light enough that it’s not a deal-breaker. The energy is strong (1126). This is the best you’ll see.

Tuesday the 28th of July holds similar size and direction, with a 4ft SSW swell and a 17-second period, but the wind swings more southerly and picks up to 9 mph, becoming cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit lumpier. Wednesday the 29th of July drops a little in size to 4ft, and the same cross-onshore wind keeps it bumpy. Thursday the 30th of July sees the period drop to 13 seconds, but the swell is still 4ft with light onshore wind. Friday the 31st of July has a bump in size to 6ft, but the period is short (13 seconds), so it’s a bit of a wall of whitewater. The wind is cross-onshore and 9 mph, so it’s going to be messy. Saturday the 1st of August has 5ft of SSW swell but the period is still short (13 seconds) and the wind turns onshore again, so it’s not great.

After Saturday, from Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell drops below 3ft and the energy (245) is weak. The winds stay cross-onshore or onshore, but the waves are just too small and poor to bother with. The whole second week is a write-off for surf. There’s a tiny flicker on Friday the 7th of August with 3ft of long-period groundswell (19 seconds) and a light onshore breeze, but it’s a whisper and not worth chasing.

So, bottom line: fire up for Monday the 27th of July at Church. That’s your best shot. After that, it’s a steady decline into a flat spell. Don’t hang around waiting for the second week.

Rusty.

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