Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming down the pipe at Conto Springs. It's a reef break that's very consistent, exposed to the swell, and does its best work with a WSW direction.

We've got a bit of a wait for the good stuff, but boy, when it shows up, it's a beauty. The water is sitting at 67°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so ditch the thick steamer.

The first real standout is going to be on Wednesday the 5th. Tuesday afternoon on the 4th is a write-off – lumpy, cross-onshore winds and poor surf. But overnight, things flip. Wednesday morning, we’re looking at a clean, cross-off breeze from the SSW with a solid 16 ft SW groundswell rolling in at a very long 16 seconds. There’s a massive amount of energy in the water (11044), making this a serious proposition for expert surfers only. The swell is powerful and that long period will see it standing up nicely on the reef, but it’ll be big and demanding. Then Wednesday afternoon goes glassy—flat calm with a NW breeze and the swell easing slightly to 15 ft. That afternoon session is the pick of the whole run. It’s still huge and will be for experts only, but clean, glassy conditions on a 15 ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds? That’s a rare treat.

Thursday the 6th through to Sunday the 9th is a messy, blown-out patch. Strong, onshore winds and rain spoil the big, powerful swell. There's plenty of energy (over 8000 on Thursday, over 20000 on Saturday), but the wind just ruins it. The waves will be huge, but choppy and ugly. On Saturday the 8th, the swell peaks at 23 ft from the SW with 15 seconds, and the energy is through the roof (20957), but with strong cross-shore winds, it’s a dangerous, washing-machine mess. Kite surfers would have a field day, but for paddle surfing, it’s a hard pass.

Monday the 10th offers a glimmer. The morning is clean with a cross-off SSW breeze and a solid 15 ft groundswell (7565 energy). It’s marginal, but the wind is right. The afternoon gets really interesting though: a big 18 ft SW swell at 17 seconds (17686 energy) with clean, cross-off winds. Again, that’s expert territory only—the size and power are immense.

After that, we’re back into a long stretch of poor conditions. Tuesday the 11th through to the end of the forecast period on the 19th is dominated by onshore, cross-onshore, or strong winds from the W, WNW, and NNW. The swell stays solid, bouncing between 10 ft and 18 ft, but the quality is shot. There’s a moment on Saturday the 15th where the swell is huge again (18 ft, SW, 17 seconds) with over 17000 energy, but the fresh cross-onshore wind will chop it up. It’s a pattern of big, powerful, but windy surf.

So to wrap it up for Conto Springs: the absolute best on offer is Wednesday the 5th of August, especially the glassy afternoon session. Monday the 10th has a clean afternoon backup. Everything else is either too big and windy, or just plain messy. This reef is a ripper when it lines up, and that Wednesday is going to be a day to remember for those with the skill to handle it.

Rusty

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