Danger Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks for Danger Reef.

Right off the bat, don’t get your hopes up for the next few days. Friday and Saturday are looking pretty average with small, weak surf around 2 ft to 4 ft from the SW. The wind is mostly off or cross-off on the afternoons, but the swell energy is pretty low (266 to 380), and it’s not enough to get excited about.

The real standout in this whole outlook is Monday, July 6th. That morning, we’ve got a nice 7 ft groundswell from the WSW with a 12-second period. The combined energy is already cranking at 1121, and with glassy winds from the ESE at just 3 mph, it’s going to be clean as a whistle. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – the kind of morning you’d drag yourself out of bed for. The water is sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year (anomaly of -3°), so don’t forget the booties if you’re heading out.

Tuesday the 7th holds some good options too, especially the morning session. The swell drops slightly to 6 ft from the SW, but it’s still a 12-second groundswell with 928 combined energy. Glassy winds again from the SSE at just 3 mph – that’s going to be pure, clean reef perfection for intermediate to advanced surfers. The afternoon sees a little cross-on breeze, which will roughen it up some, so get out early.

Now, from Wednesday the 8th through Thursday the 9th, things get messy. Swell jumps up to 8 ft and beyond, but the onshore wind from the SSE and SE is gale force (15-16 mph), making it a choppy, blown-out mess. Energy is high (over 2000), but the quality is poor. Unless you’re looking for a kite session, it’s a stay-on-land kind of stretch.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th see the swell settle back to 5 ft to 6 ft with long-period SSW groundswell (12-13 seconds). Saturday morning on the 11th looks special – clean 5 ft SSW swell with light NNE cross-off winds. Energy is strong at 1112, and conditions should be excellent for experienced surfers. That Saturday afternoon stays good with light W winds and clean 5 ft waves.

Sunday the 12th through Monday the 13th is a drop-off. Swell fades to 2 ft to 4 ft, and Sunday is blown out with onshore winds. Monday morning, though, offers a little glassy 3 ft S swell – not big, but clean enough for a fun session.

Midweek around July 14th and 15th, the swell starts building again, but winds are problematic, turning cross-on or onshore. By the 15th we’re looking at a solid 12 ft SW swell, but with moderate cross-onshore winds, it’s more of a challenge than a pleasure. The energy is huge – over 3300 – but the conditions are only marginal.

The end of the outlook, around July 16th to 18th, has some real potential if you’re patient. Friday the 17th afternoon pushes out a massive 10 ft S swell with 13-second period and a combined energy of 6324 – that’s serious power. Winds are light and onshore though, so while it’s an incredible swell event, the conditions aren’t perfect. Then Saturday the 18th delivers again with a 8 ft S swell, a 12-second period, and clean offshore NW winds at 6 mph. That morning looks excellent for experienced surfers – it’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it could be the best late-week session in the whole run.

If you’re a beginner, steer clear when the swell pushes past 5 ft, and definitely sit out the 8 ft+ days – those are expert territory. Long-period swells like the 15-second ones we saw on the 4th and the 13-15 second swells on the 10th and 11th are best handled at this reef break; the paddle out will have longer lulls, but the waves will have real shape and punch.

Overall, the standout sessions are Monday morning July 6th, Tuesday morning July 7th, Saturday morning July 11th, and that promising Saturday morning July 18th. The rest is a mix of small, windy, or just ordinary conditions.

Rusty.

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