Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watching this stretch of coast like a hawk. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a moment that’ll get the blood pumping if you’re patient. The water’s sitting at 53°F with a 1°F cool anomaly, which is about average for the time of year—nothing shocking, just the usual winter chill.

The first real standout is on Friday morning, July 24th. Clifton Beach is looking at a solid 10ft swell from the SW, with a long 15-second period pushing a massive 6198 of combined energy—that’s a strong, powerful groundswell. The wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze, and the conditions are clean. But here’s the thing: that size is well over 8ft, so this is for experts only. The swell direction is a near-perfect match for the break’s optimum from the south, and the long period means it’ll have plenty of push and shape, though it might be a bit too straight for a beach break—still, on a good bank, expect some freight trains. Crowds are often around here, so expect a few other diehards out.

After that, the surf drops off but there’s a nice little window on Saturday, July 25th. The morning brings a 4ft S swell at 12 seconds, with a light cross-off wind and 611 in energy. The afternoon is even better: 3ft S swell, 11-second period, but the wind goes glassy—completely calm, 0 mph. That’s going to be silky smooth, clean waves, perfect for a beginner-plus session. The swell is small, so it’s friendly and manageable.

The next decent pulse comes on Monday afternoon, July 27th, with a 5ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and 976 energy. The wind is cross-off, keeping it clean. It’s not a standout, but it’s surfable.

Then on Tuesday morning, July 28th, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the SSW, 16-second period, pushing 1390 energy. The wind is cross-off and the conditions are clean. That’s a solid, long-period groundswell that’ll have some punch, but it’s still a bit under the 5ft mark for beginners—a good intermediate session.

The long-range outlook is thin. There’s a small, clean morning on Thursday, July 30th, with 3ft S swell, 11-second period, and offshore wind, but it’s tiny. Saturday, August 1st, and Sunday, August 2nd, both offer 3ft SSW swells in the morning with offshore or cross-off winds and clean conditions, but the energy is low (around 330-389). These are just small, clean waves for a quiet paddle.

From Monday, August 3rd, onward, it’s a write-off for Clifton Beach. The wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, the swell stays small, and the conditions are poor and choppy, right through to Thursday, August 6th. That’s a solid 4-day gap of no good surf.

Overall, the pinnacle is that Friday morning, July 24th, for the experts who want a big, clean groundswell. The glassy Saturday afternoon, July 25th, is the best for the average surfer. After that, it’s a slow fade to nothing.

Rusty.

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