Crescent Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for Crescent Head is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming, but the wind is going to be our constant dance partner, so you’ll need to pick your windows carefully. The standout session is the one that’s got the most going for it, and there’s a couple of other days that are worth a look.

First up, let’s talk about the water. It’s sitting at 68° which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off properly on Friday, July 10th. The morning is the pick of the weekend. Crescent Head is a classic point, exposed to the ESE, and we’ve got a 6 ft swell from the SE with a 10-second period, which is a solid groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (614). The wind is a light 6 mph from the SSW, so it’s a cross-off. That’s a clean setup, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is one of the true standouts. The afternoon turns a bit sketchy with light rain, a cross-shore wind, and a questionable tide, so I’d be in the water early.

Saturday, July 11th, is a big drop in size. The morning has a tiny 3 ft from the ESE, but with a long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The light NNW wind at 3 mph makes it clean (418). It’s surfable, but small. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a stronger breeze.

Sunday, July 12th, is a similar story. Morning sees a 3 ft ESE swell, 10-second period, with a clean cross-off from the WNW (210). The afternoon is interesting: a 3 ft ESE swell, but the wind swings to WSW at 9 mph and goes offshore. That’s clean, 1.2m energy (122), but the conditions are described as “ordinary.” It’s rideable, but not a standout.

Monday, July 13th, is a drop-off. Small 2 ft swell from the south, period down to 8 seconds. The energy is weak (55). The morning is clean, but it’s a struggle. From Tuesday, July 14th, through Wednesday, July 15th, we’ve got a real flat spell. The swell drops to 1 ft, poor conditions. That’s a two-day gap of nothing worth paddling for.

Then we get a pulse on Thursday, July 16th. The morning brings a 7 ft swell from the south at 8 seconds, with a strong energy of 1017. That’s a lot of water moving, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. The wind is 12 mph from the SSW, cross-off, so it’s clean. But at 7 ft, this is getting into expert territory. The report says “marginal surf forecast,” so it’s not a true standout. The afternoon gets rain and a cross-shore wind, so it’s messy.

The next real standout is Sunday, July 19th. The morning is a beauty. We’ve got a 6 ft swell from the east, 10-second period, and the combined energy is solid (575). The wind is a glassy 3 mph from the west, dead offshore. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” For a point break like Crescent Head, an east swell at this size with clean offshore wind is magic. This is the other standout. The crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have company, but the quality will be worth it. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore wind, so it’s a morning mission.

After that, it fades. Monday, July 20th, is small and bumpy, then Tuesday, July 21st, has a clean 3 ft from the east with a light cross-off, but it’s ordinary. The rest of the week into the 25th is mostly small, messy, and not worth getting excited about. There’s a brief window on Friday, July 24th, with a glassy morning and a tiny 2 ft swell, but it’s only 87 energy, so you’re scratching for waves.

Overall, the best bets are Friday morning, July 10th, and Sunday morning, July 19th. Both have clean conditions, decent swell, and that classic Crescent Head point setup. Get amongst it.

Rusty.

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