Cornish Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve got a honest look at what’s coming up over the next 16 days for Cornish Reef. I’ll be straight with you—this is a tough stretch. The forecast is a long, drawn-out run of poor surf conditions, with only a single fleeting moment that might be worth your time. The water is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s something.

We start off on Saturday the 18th of July and it’s not looking good. The swell is tiny at 1ft out of the NW, with a short period of 5 seconds, and a cross-onshore wind. The energy is weak (20), and it’s just choppy and messy. No reason to get wet.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th bring even smaller waves—0.7ft to 1ft from the W, with clean conditions in the mornings thanks to a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is just too small to surf. The energy is still weak (26 to 38). It’s basically a flat spell.

Tuesday the 21st through to Thursday the 23rd of July is more of the same: tiny swell (1.0ft to 1ft), short periods, and mostly cross-onshore wind. The energy stays low (15 to 54). The morning of the 23rd has a light cross-onshore with small wind ripples, but it’s still a dud.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th of July start to see a slight bump in swell, but the wind turns onshore and gets stronger. The swell creeps up to 3ft on Saturday, with energy hitting 113 (moderate), but with a strong breeze and rain, it’s a complete write-off.

Sunday the 26th of July sees the swell finally push up to 5ft to 6ft from the W, with energy climbing to 291 and then 403 (moderate). But it’s all onshore wind, cloudy, and messy. This is more a kite-surfing scene than anything for a paddle.

Monday the 27th of July is similar—5ft to 5ft swell, moderate energy (284 to 422), but cross-onshore wind and chop. Not surfable.

Then, on Tuesday the 28th of July, we get a proper standout. The morning session is the best on offer for the whole outlook. The swell is 6ft from the W, with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is strong at 680. The wind is glassy, coming from the NNE at just 3 mph. That’s clean, glassy conditions. The break is a reef, so that long-period groundswell will wrap in nicely here. It’s a fairly consistent spot, so you can expect waves. The size is over 5ft, so it’s for intermediate to advanced surfers—beginners should sit this one out. The afternoon is a bit of a letdown with an onshore wind, but that morning session is your window.

The rest of the outlook from Wednesday the 29th of July through to Sunday the 2nd of August drops off fast. Swell sticks around 5ft to 8ft, with strong energy (421 to 1147), but the wind is cross-onshore or onshore, and the conditions are poor. Friday the 31st of July morning has a bit of surge at 8ft and energy at 1147 (very strong), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s a mess. The break is exposed, so it’s copping the full brunt of the wind. The last couple of days into August see the swell drop back to 4ft to 4ft, with energy fading to 167 to 241, and the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore. Nothing worth chasing.

So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half are a write-off. The only real standout is Tuesday morning the 28th of July. If you can get out for that glassy, 6ft reef swell, you’ll be in for a treat. The rest? Leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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