City Beach groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch. We’ve got a slow start, but there’s some serious gold waiting if you’re patient. The first proper surf doesn’t show up until Thursday the 23rd, so we’ve a couple of quiet days before things kick off. After that, the swell hangs around, but the wind and conditions play games.

City Beach groyne is the only show in town. It’s a beach and groyne setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and it picks up a solid WSW groundswell. The water’s sitting at 62.8°F, which is a full 4.3°F colder than normal – that’s much colder than usual for this time of year, so grab a thick wetsuit.

Thursday afternoon the 23rd is our first real window. We’ve got a 4.3ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, putting moderate wave energy in the water (593). Wind is a gentle 9 mph from the ENE, offshore and clean. The report says “expect good surf conditions” – that’s a nice, clean start to the run.

Friday the 24th is smaller, with 3.0ft dropping to 2.6ft through the day. The morning is clean with a cross-off breeze, but the energy drops to 342 and the comment is “marginal.” Saturday the 25th is similar – 3.6ft to 3.9ft, but the wind goes cross-shore or cross, so the waves are there but not great.

Sunday the 26th is a write-off. Strong NW winds hit 25 mph in the afternoon with a 6.9ft short-period (6 seconds) windswell – that’s messy and cross-onshore. The combined energy jumps to 570 but it’s poor. Monday the 27th is even worse: big 11.5ft to 9.8ft groundswell with 14-second periods, but the wind is howling onshore from the SW and SSW. Energy spikes to a massive 4852, but it’s just a chunky, lumpy mess. More for kite gear than a paddle, if you ask me.

The turnaround comes Tuesday morning the 28th. Clear skies, a gentle 9 mph offshore from the east, and a 5.9ft WSW swell with a 13-second period. The combined energy is 1240 – moderate and solid – and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the first true standout. The waves will be clean, with some push. It’s not too big for most, but the 5.9ft might be a bit much for total beginners.

Wednesday the 29th drops to 3.0ft but the period stretches to 17 seconds – very long groundswell. That long period means the waves will be well-shaped, with longer lulls between sets. Both morning and afternoon are clean with cross-off winds. The energy is 826 to 754, so not pumping but fun. A weird session where you wait for the set, then it’s worth it.

Thursday the 30th is a highlight. Morning is 3.3ft WSW with a 16-second period, gentle cross-off breeze, and combined energy of 1209. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” The afternoon pushes 4.9ft with a light cross-shore, but still that long period. This is a solid day.

But the true standout – the one I’m circling – is Friday the 31st afternoon. We get a 5.9ft WSW swell, 16-second period, and a light 6 mph NNE cross-off wind. The combined energy is 1586, and the report calls it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the best of the first week. Clean, powerful, well-spaced lines.

Saturday the 1st of August is still good: 5.6ft in the morning dropping to 4.9ft in the afternoon, both clean with light winds. Energy between 1161 and 970. Very good, just not as punchy as Friday.

Now for the second week, and I’ll keep it shorter. Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon is a highlight for big-wave crew: 7.9ft WSW, 17-second period, gentle cross-off breeze. The energy is 3232, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s expert territory – 7.9ft plus long period is serious power. Monday the 3rd is similar in size (7.2ft) but the wind gets a bit cross-off or cross-on, so it’s a step down. Tuesday the 4th turns into a giant, messy close-out: 16.4ft onshore slop with a 22 mph westerly, energy 8879. Stay out.

Wednesday the 5th cleans up to 9.8ft with a cross-off breeze – big but manageable for experts. Thursday the 6th morning is the last real standout: 7.5ft WSW, 16-second period, and a 12 mph offshore from the ENE. Energy is 2784, and the

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