Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee, let's have a look at what's heading our way for the next couple of weeks.

The short story is that we've got a proper run of solid groundswell coming in, but the early part of this week is a write-off. The first decent window doesn't show up until Friday morning, July 10. For a few days before that, Wednesday and Thursday are a complete no-go with rain showers, onshore winds and messy, poor surf – you won't want to bother.

From Friday the 10th, conditions start to tidy up. The wind swings southerly and goes cross-offshore, cleaning things right up. We're looking at 7 ft swell from the SW on Friday morning, dropping a touch to 6 ft in the afternoon. The period is solid at 13 and 12 seconds, so there's proper groundswell energy behind it. The combined energy is moderate at best (2368), so it's not a monster, but for a Friday it'll be a fun little session. No standouts here, just a decent warm-up.

Now, Saturday the 11th is where it gets interesting. The morning is looking clean with light SSE winds, 8 ft of SW swell at a nice 14 seconds. That's a proper long-period groundswell (combined energy 1980) and it's going to peel well at a reef like Conto Springs. The afternoon gets even better: swell bumps up to 10 ft, period stays at 14 seconds, and the wind is light from the south. For experienced surfers, this is excellent. Saturday is a strong contender for the best wave of the week.

But hold onto your board – Sunday the 12th is the true standout. The morning has 10 ft SW swell at 15 seconds with practically no wind (SW at 3 mph), so it's clean. The afternoon, though, is the pick of the whole forecast: 12 ft of SW swell at a very long 17-second period, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is massive at 6660. This is exceptional surf for expert surfers only. If you've got the skill, Sunday afternoon is where you want to be. The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it won't be too chilly.

Monday the 13th keeps the size at 12 ft, but the wind goes cross-shore and the conditions get a bit bumpy with some crossing wind ripples. Still decent for the experts, but not as clean as Sunday.

Tuesday the 14th is another good one: clean conditions, 10 ft SW swell at 15 seconds, and light ENE winds in the morning creating a nice cross-offshore flow. That'll be a fun session for those who know the reef.

Wednesday morning the 15th brings a moment of beauty: completely glassy conditions with 7 ft of SW swell at 14 seconds. That's a proper clean window, but it fades into a light cross-onshore in the afternoon.

From Wednesday afternoon onward, things start to get messy again with onshore winds and rain returning, but there's a second pulse of very large swell coming in around Sunday July 19 and Monday July 20. That swell is predicted to be 18 ft to 20 ft from the SW with periods up to 19 seconds – that's enormous. The combined energy readings are off the chart (20271 on Sunday morning). The catch? The wind and tide might be favourable, but the swell is simply too big for this break. Even for experts, that's a big, dangerous day. It's more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers. That big swell hangs around through Monday the 20th and into Tuesday, but the winds aren't great.

Looking further out, Thursday July 23 is another standout in the second week: 13 ft of SW swell at 15 seconds, with a gentle offshore wind from the SE and clean conditions. The combined energy is 6623 - very strong. That's exceptional for experts, but it's a long-range call so keep an eye on it; it could change.

Overall, the best on offer is Sunday July 12 afternoon – that's the one to circle. Saturday July 11 is a close second. If you can't make those, Tuesday July 14 morning and Wednesday July 15 morning are solid clean sessions. The second week's big swell is for experts only and needs watching.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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