Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the next couple of weeks at Conto Springs. It’s a reef setup that’s very consistent and exposed to the west-southwest, so it’s always got a bit of life in it. The water’s sitting at 66°, which is a bit warmer than usual for this time of year – so that’s a bit of a bonus.

Right now, it’s pretty messy. There’s some swell showing on Saturday the 15th, around 8ft from the southwest, but the wind is cross-onshore from the NNW and it’s choppy. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. The energy is moderate at 1932, but the conditions are just ugly. Sunday the 16th is worse – the swell jumps to 10ft, but the wind gets up with a fresh cross-onshore breeze, and it’s lumpy. Not a chance. Then the big one hits Monday the 17th, with heavy rain and a strong cross-shore wind. Swell is 13-16ft, the energy is strong to very strong (10835, 13680), but it’s just a complete mess. This is a washout.

The first real glimmer comes on Tuesday the 18th morning. The swell is still a solid 13ft from the WSW with a 16-second period, but the wind turns onshore from the WNW. The score is marginal, but it’s big. That’s still not great.

Things start to improve properly on Wednesday the 19th afternoon. We’ve got 15ft of SW swell, with a gentle cross-shore breeze. It’s still big, but cleaner. The energy is strong at 8702. Then Thursday the 20th is mixed, and Friday the 21st is where it starts to get interesting.

Friday morning is clean, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE and 13ft of SW swell. By Friday afternoon, we’ve got a moderate offshore from the SE and it’s clean – that’s the standout of the first week. This is prime Conto Springs, with the swell direction matching the optimum from the WSW. It’s still a hefty 13ft, so this is for experienced surfers only. The energy is strong at 6094.

Saturday the 22nd morning the swell drops a bit to 10ft, but it’s onshore. The afternoon is better – 8ft, light cross-offshore and clean. Sunday the 23rd is a real beauty. Light winds, glassy in the afternoon, with 8ft of SW swell at a good 14-15 second period. It’s clean, and the energy is moderate. This is a great window for the more experienced crew. Crowds are sometimes around, so you might have to share.

Then it all falls apart. Monday the 24th sees moderate cross-onshore winds pick up, and Tuesday the 25th turns into a full-blown storm with strong winds and rain. The swell drops, but it’s blown out. Not worth it. Wednesday the 26th brings a massive 15ft of WSW swell with fresh cross-onshore winds – again, just messy. The whole second week starts to look pretty average.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Saturday the 29th morning has 11ft of WSW swell with a moderate cross-offshore wind, and it’s clean. That’s promising but a week and a half out, so I wouldn’t book the trip yet. Sunday the 30th afternoon looks better again – 8ft of WSW swell, light cross-shore winds, and a long 19-second period. The energy is strong at 9071. That could be a nice one, clean and glassy.

So, the best on offer is Friday the 21st afternoon, and then Sunday the 23rd. Those are the standouts. The rest is either too big and blown out, or just messy. For the beginners, anything over 5ft starts getting serious, and we’ve got plenty of that. This is a reef break, so it’s not one for the faint-hearted anyway.

There’s a lot of strong wind and big swell, and it’s a reef setup, so this one could get interesting for the kitesurfers on the stormy days, but for paddle surfing, you’ve got to pick your moments.

Keep your eyes on that Friday and Sunday of the first week. That’s the good stuff.

Rusty.

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