Coastguard Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this forecast for Coastguard Beach for a while now. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but honestly, this one’s a tough pill to swallow. The whole 16-day window, from the 21st of July right through to the 5th of August, is looking like a write-off for surf. There’s no standout day, no sneaky window, nothing that’s going to get a surfer out of bed. It’s a real dry spell.

The water temperature is sitting at 66°F, which is about 1°F cooler than average for this time of year. Nothing crazy, just a little on the nippy side, but it’s not the temperature that’s the problem.

Let’s walk through it. The first few days, starting Tuesday the 21st afternoon, we’ve got a weak swell from the SSE at 4 ft, but it’s a short, choppy 5-second period with a cross-shore wind. The combined energy is a measly 53 (weak). It’s just messy. Wednesday the 22nd offers a bit more size—5 ft from the S—with a slightly better 8 to 9-second period and manageable cross-offshore winds, but the energy is still only moderate (321-389). The problem is the “poor surf conditions” tag sticks on every single session. Nothing cleans up enough to make it worthwhile.

Thursday the 23rd sees the swell drop to 2 ft, and by Friday the 24th we’re down to 1 ft. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, creating chop. The combined energy plummets into the teens and twenties. It’s a total flat spell. This pattern of tiny, weak swell with poor wind continues right through the weekend and into the next week. The 28th of July has a brief moment with a 4 ft SSE swell and a 9-second period, and the energy climbs to 258 (moderate), but the wind is a fresh cross-shore with lumpy chop. The 30th of July shows a similar story with 3 ft and 208 energy, but again, the wind is a fresh cross-offshore, which is clean but the swell is just too small and weak for a proper wave.

For the entire forecast, the swell rarely breaks 3 ft, and when it does, the period is short. There’s no groundswell, no long-period energy. The wind is almost always either cross-shore, onshore, or too strong. The break is consistent, which is a small mercy, but the quality is just not there. A beginner might find a tiny, crumbly wave on a clean morning, like on the 4th of August with a 1 ft SE swell and a light offshore wind, but it’s not going to be a memorable session.

So, what’s the call? There’s no standouts. The best you can hope for is a vague, underwhelming window on the 28th or 30th of July, but even then, it’s marginal. For an area that’s usually consistent, this is a lean run. The one good thing is that Coastguard Beach is a consistent spot, so it tends not to stay this poor for long. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d save the wax and wait for a better swell. There’s nothing here for anyone.

Rusty.

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