Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at the next 16 days for Clifton Beach. The first bit is pretty quiet, but hang in there—there’s a couple of moments that’ll get the blood pumping.

The overall pattern here is a slow burn. We’ve got a lot of small, messed-up days to start, but the swell builds into the end of the week and then again into the first week of August. The real standout is booked for Wednesday the 29th of July, and there’s a sneaky good session on Saturday the 25th too.

Wednesday, 22nd July: Pfft, forget it. Tiny little 1ft SSW swell with a long 13-second period, but it’s only 73 (weak energy) and the wind is cross-off but light. Still, the water is sitting at 53°F—that’s about 1°F cooler than normal, so it’s a bit nippy for this time of year.

Thursday, 23rd: The swell starts to wake up. Morning is 4ft SSW with a solid 14-second period, and that cross-off NW wind is clean. The energy jumps to 584 (moderate). It’s surfable, but the score is still low. Afternoon gets messy with a 7ft SSW groundswell (17-second period!) but the wind is onshore and strong at 19 mph. Too much chop for a fun paddle.

Friday, 24th: Morning is the pick of the early days. 6ft SSW swell, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind. Energy is 1530 (strong). It’s a solid wave, but it’s a bit big for beginners and the quality is just “marginal.” The afternoon turns to rubbish with rain and strong cross-shore wind.

Saturday, 25th: This is where it gets interesting. The afternoon session is a real gem. The swell drops to 3ft from the south, but the wind goes glassy—just 3 mph. The energy is 458 (moderate), and it’s the first time we see “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer for the first week. The wave will be clean, smooth, and fun for all levels. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Sunday, 26th to Tuesday, 28th: A bit of a lull. Swell drops back to 2ft to 4ft, winds are mostly cross-off but the energy is low to moderate (110 to 627). Nothing special, just ordinary conditions.

Wednesday, 29th – THE STANDOUT: Boom. This is the one. Wednesday morning has 6ft S swell, 15-second period, cross-off NW wind at only 9 mph. The energy is 1649 (strong). This is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” It’s a proper groundswell, so it’ll be powerful and clean. That’s the best day of the forecast. Afternoon gets chopped out by a 12 mph onshore, so get in early.

Thursday, 30th: Another clean morning, but smaller. 3ft S swell, glassy calm wind, energy 339 (moderate). Good for a fun session, but not a standout.

Friday, 31st to Sunday, 2nd August: A real dry spell. Swell is tiny (2ft to 2ft), winds are clean but the energy is low (146 to 339). Just small, ordinary waves. The water temp is still around 53°F, so it’s chilly.

Monday, 3rd August: A late surprise. Morning has 2ft S swell with a massive 22-second period! That’s a very long groundswell. Energy is 375 (moderate). The wind is offshore at 16 mph, so it’ll be clean. Because it’s such a long period, it’ll be better for the point breaks and reefs, but at Clifton Beach it might break a bit too straight. Still, it’s worth a look.

Tuesday, 4th August: The afternoon is the pick. 3ft S swell, 16-second period, light cross-off wind. Energy 546 (moderate). Expect good surf conditions in the afternoon.

Wednesday, 5th to Thursday, 6th August: Back to poor conditions. The swell gets messy again with strong cross-shore or onshore winds, low energy, and lumpy chop. Not worth the paddle.

So to wrap it up, the two true standouts are Saturday 25th July afternoon for a glassy, clean 3ft wave, and Wednesday 29th July morning for the bigger, powerful 6ft groundswell. Get out there for those.

Rusty.

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