Curl Curl Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Curly.

We're in for a rough patch for the first week or so, with small, messy conditions and only a few windows of clean, rideable waves before a serious pulse of groundswell hits in the second week. It's a stop-start run, so patience will be key. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is bang on average for this time of year. No surprise there.

Righto, starting from Wednesday the 8th of July, it's pretty ordinary. Wednesday morning has 8 ft swell from the SE with an 11-second period, but a southerly cross-onshore breeze is chopping it up. The energy is moderate at 1770, but the quality is poor. That afternoon is even worse, with south winds picking up to 12 mph and an 8 ft SSE swell going straight to junk. Thursday morning the 9th is a small improvement – 6 ft from the SE, period 10 seconds, and a light cross-shore wind, but still only marginal. The energy drops to 887, and it's just not worth paddling out for.

We finally get a bit of clean surf on Saturday morning the 11th of July. Swell drops to 4 ft from the SE at 9 seconds, but the wind is a light offshore from the NW, 6 mph, leaving the surface glassy. Energy is low at 343, so it's a small-scale session. Saturday afternoon holds 3 ft, period 11 seconds from the ESE, with a stronger offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, keeping things clean. Still, it's small – decent for a longboard or a fun fish, but not going to get the heart racing. After that, Sunday the 12th sees the swell drop away completely, with tiny 2 ft leftovers and strong winds, and Monday through Wednesday are a write-off – clean but barely a ripple, with energy falling to 27 to 51.

Now here's where it gets interesting. On Thursday the 16th of July, a big groundswell hits. Thursday morning kicks off with 8 ft swell from the S, a long 12-second period, and a cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph. The combined energy jumps right up to 2586. That's a powerful, clean wave and the standout of the entire outlook. The caveat is that long-period southerly groundswell can be a bit straight at beach breaks, but Curly is a point break, so it should wrap in nicely. This is for experienced surfers only – 8 ft is serious size. Thursday afternoon is even bigger at 12 ft from the S, 13-second period, and a gentle cross-shore breeze. The energy is 3656, which is strong. The cross-shore wind is light, but the sheer size makes it a beast – expert territory again.

Friday the 17th of July stays huge, with 12 ft from the S at 12 seconds in the morning, clean cross-offshore winds from the WSW at 9 mph. Energy is 3512. The afternoon turns choppy as the wind swings southerly cross-onshore at 9 mph, but the morning session is the pick. Saturday the 18th sees the swell dropping to a more manageable 7 ft from the S, 11-second period, with light cross-offshore winds from the WSW at 6 mph. Energy is 898, and the forecast says "very good" – this is a real contender for the best of the window for strong intermediates.

After that, the swell fades back down through Sunday and Monday, with clean but smaller waves. Monday the 20th of July morning has a punchy 7 ft from the S, but the period is short at 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit crumbly. Wind is a light offshore from the NNW, and energy is 1188. It's clean, but short-period swell doesn't have the same grunt. The rest of the week runs small again, with energy dropping into the double digits by Wednesday the 22nd. There isn't a second clear standout in the second week – the big event is definitely the Thursday to Saturday window from the 16th to the 18th.

If you're looking for a paddle session, the absolute best is Thursday morning the 16th of July: 8 ft S groundswell, 12-second period, clean offshore wind, and that point break setup should handle it well. Expect crowds at Curly – it's often busy – but for that quality, it's worth it. For smaller, cleaner fun, Saturday the 11th is your best in the first week. The big stuff on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th is expert-only – over 8 ft and powerful. Beginners, stay out of the water those days.

Rusty, signing off.

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