City Beach groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, g’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next few weeks at City Beach groyne. It’s a beach/groyne set-up, fairly exposed to the swell, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot. The water’s sitting at 63° right now, which is a good 4° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a notable chill, so you’ll want a decent steamer.

First proper surf window opens up Saturday morning, 18th July, but it’s a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a solid 13ft west swell rolling in with a 12-second period, but the wind is onshore from the west at 22 mph, and the combined energy is massive at 3677. That’s just messy and lumpy, not for paddling. Saturday afternoon, the swell drops to 12ft from the WSW at 14 seconds, and the energy jumps to 5453, but again, onshore wind and just too big for this spot. For the experienced crew, it might be a show, but not a go.

Now, Sunday the 19th is where it gets interesting. Morning has a clean 8ft WSW swell with a 14-second period, light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph, and the combined energy is 2405 – that’s solid, moderate-strong energy. The lines will be clean, a bit of a groundswell feel, so it’s good for experienced surfers only at that size. Sunday afternoon, the swell drops to 7ft, still 13 seconds, but the wind swings to a cross-onshore, and the score drops right off. Stick to the morning.

Monday the 20th morning is a glassy gem. Swell’s 5ft from the WSW, 12-second period, combined energy of 612 (moderate), and the wind is glass – absolutely dead calm from the NE at 3 mph. This is the standout of the first week. Clean, manageable, and the crowds will be likely, so get in early. Afternoon turns choppy with a cross-onshore, so forget it.

Tuesday the 21st morning is clean again with a 4ft WSW swell, 11 seconds, and light cross-offshore wind. Paddling out will be easy, but the energy is low at 442 – it’s small and weak. The Tuesday afternoon picks up a bit of size to 6ft from the SW at 14 seconds, but the wind goes cross-onshore and choppy, so not worth it.

The real standout of the whole run is Wednesday the 22nd morning. You’ve got a 5ft WSW swell with a 13-second period, clean offshore wind from the east at 6 mph, and combined energy of 772. That’s a sweet spot – clean, well-shaped, and just right for the groyne. Crowds are often, so it’ll be busy, but for good reason. The mornings of Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are also clean and small, but not as punchy.

There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 24th afternoon through to the 26th. Saturday the 26th morning brings a 7ft west swell with a short 8-second period – that’s a windswell, choppy, and combined energy of 967. It’s clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but the short period means it’ll be a bit wonky, not a classic.

After that, from the 27th onwards, it’s mostly a mix of onshore winds, big swells way over 8ft, and stormy conditions. The 28th morning has a glassy 6ft WSW swell with 14-second period and energy of 1051 – that’s decent, but the rest of the week is a write-off with strong winds and monster swell. The 1st August morning has a 16ft swell with 16-second period and a combined energy of 13029 – that’s a hurricane in the water, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s only for the madmen or the kite surfers. Too big and messy for a paddle.

Overall, the best windows are Sunday morning 19th, Monday morning 20th, and Wednesday morning 22nd. Wednesday 22nd is the pick of the bunch – clean, waist-to-chest high, and that offshore wind will make it sexy.

Rusty.

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