Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for the next couple of weeks at this one spot.

First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real surf worth paddling for hits on Friday morning, July 3rd. It’s not big, but it’s a clean 2ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 18 seconds. That kind of period means proper shape and energy, but you’ll get longer waits between sets. The water temp is sitting at 53°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so grab the neoprene. It’s a gentle offshore breeze from the NW, keeping things tidy. The combined energy is weak at (270), but for a small-scale day, quality should be there.

Friday afternoon is a dud – the wind swings to a strong WSW at 22 mph and brings rain, making everything lumpy. That’s it for the good stuff for a while.

We get a nasty stretch from Saturday the 4th right through the middle of the next week. The swell builds, hitting 8ft on Saturday afternoon but it’s all cross-onshore and messy. That’s expert-only territory and honestly, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing session than paddle surfing. The combined energy spikes to (3015) on Saturday arvo, but without good wind, it’s useless for us.

Things finally clean up again on Monday morning, July 6th. The swell drops to a clean 4ft from the S, with a 14-second period, and we get a proper offshore from the NNW at 9 mph. That’s a real standout window. The combined energy is (485), so there’s a bit of push behind it. It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun and tidy. Monday afternoon goes glassy with 3ft surf – that’s about as clean as it gets.

Tuesday morning, July 7th, keeps the trend going with another clean 2ft SSW swell and a moderate offshore. But by Tuesday afternoon, the wind turns sour again.

From Wednesday July 8th through to about July 15th, it’s a real struggle. We’ve got a mix of tiny swell, strong onshore winds, and rain. There are a few moments – like Friday morning July 10th – where it’s clean but tiny at 2ft. There's just not enough power to get excited about.

Then on Friday afternoon, July 17th, we get another little pocket of goodness. The wind goes light offshore from the N, the swell is a clean 2ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is (276). It’s a small but quality end to the week.

Saturday July 18th is a bit of a letdown – a clean-looking forecast but the onshore flow sneaks back in, making it only marginal.

So, to wrap it up: the real standouts are Monday July 6th, with that offshore and clean 4ft S swell, and Friday July 17th afternoon, for a clean, small session. The rest of the 16 days are a mix of blown-out, too big, or too small. There’s a big gap of poor conditions from Saturday July 4th right through to Sunday July 12th, so plan around those two good days.

Stay stoked, and keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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