Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The water’s running at 66°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Not a big deal, but good to know.

The first few days are a total loss, mate. This weekend is a write-off. Saturday starts with 8ft of SW swell, but it’s cross-onshore and chopped up. Not worth it. That afternoon’s not much better with 8ft and the wind still messy. Sunday brings more size, around 10ft, but it’s lumpy and poor. Then Monday is downright dangerous. We’re looking at 13-16ft of heavy WSW swell with strong cross-onshore winds and rain. That’s a big, dirty ocean – not for paddling. You’d be better off watching from the sand, or if you’re keen, that wind and swell combo is more interesting for kite surfing.

After that big pulse, things settle a little. Tuesday morning, the 18th, the swell drops to 15ft but the wind goes offshore, which is a bonus. It’s still big, but there’s some shape. That afternoon’s back to choppy though. The real bright spot in this first week is Wednesday afternoon, the 19th. The swell is 15ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the wind goes light and cross-shore. It’s only marginal, but the energy is serious, and the direction is spot on for the reef. This is one of the better windows in the first week, but still for experienced surfers only.

Then we go through a period of mediocrity. Thursday’s still onshore and messy. But the standout of the whole run is Friday, the 21st. This is the one to circle. The swell has backed off to 12ft, but it’s clean as a whistle with light cross-offshore winds. The morning is excellent for experienced surfers, and the afternoon is even better with almost no wind and a clean 12ft of SW groundswell. This is your best chance for a proper session in the first week. Expect some company though, the crowds are sometimes there.

We get a couple of cleaner but smaller days on Saturday and Sunday the 23rd. Sunday morning is the pick of that pair – glassy with 10ft of long-period SW swell and a 15-second period. That’s a beautiful thing for a reef, but that long period can make it a bit straight at times. Still, a glassy 10ft at Conto is a treat.

Things get messy again on Monday the 24th with onshore winds and dropping swell. Then Tuesday the 25th throws a curveball. The swell jumps back up to a massive 21ft, but the wind is howling a near-gale cross-offshore. The water’s clean but the wind is just too strong to make it enjoyable. That’s a lot of energy, and I'd leave that one to the special forces.

The best of the second week looks like Wednesday the 26th. The swell settles to a solid 15ft with a 16-second period, and the winds stay cross-offshore all day. It’s still big and powerful, but it’s a proper groundswell and the direction is ideal. Another one for the experienced crew. The morning of Thursday the 27th also looks magic with 8ft of glassy, clean swell – a good consolation prize. But that’s about it. The end of the run gets blown out again, and the final Saturday throws up a monster 15ft with a near-gale onshore wind and thunderstorms – a definitive no-go, even if it’s big.

So, to sum it up: the real standouts are Friday the 21st for the best overall session, and Wednesday the 26th as a bigger, more powerful second-week option. Don’t plan your life around the rest of it.

Rusty out.

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