Diamond Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, to be straight with you, this 16-day window for Diamond Street is mostly a tough watch. The whole period is dominated by cross-onshore winds, and the swell – while it does show up – is constantly battling a poor wind direction, making for choppy, uninviting conditions. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the morning of Sunday, July 19th, and even then it’s only marginal. The best chance for a proper surf is waiting until the last weekend, but that’s a long stretch of frustration.

The water is running at 72° for the first recommendation, which is a solid 5° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a big anomaly, so you’ll be in for a warm session, at least.

Let’s break down the grind. The first week, from Tuesday, July 14th right through to Saturday, July 19th morning, is a write-off. Clean, rideable waves are basically non-existent. It’s all small, messy, and cross-onshore. The wind is constantly onshore or cross-onshore, ruining any chance of a clean face. Not worth paddling out for.

The outlook finally starts to shift on the morning of Sunday, July 19th. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the SSW with a period of 12 seconds, and the wind swings to a light offshore from the W. The combined energy is moderate (825). It’s a marginal call, but it’s the first real glimmer. The light offshore wind (6 mph) is a massive positive because it will make the surface glassy. The crowd situation is “sometimes,” so you might have company, but you won’t be alone. This is the first break worth a look.

The next week continues with a mix of marginal and poor calls. The period of July 21st to 22nd is back to poor, choppy conditions. The wind remains cross-onshore, keeping the surface messy. The swell lingers around 3 ft to 3 ft, but it’s not worth the paddle.

The real standout, and the only one I’d call the best on offer, arrives on the morning of Saturday, July 25th. The swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SSW with a 13-second period. The combined energy hits 1285 – that’s a strong, punchy pulse. The wind is a light offshore from the W (6 mph), which is the cleanest wind we’ve seen in the whole forecast. This is the pick of the entire 16 days. The waves will be in the chest-to-head high range, with good shape from the long period, and the offshore breeze will keep it glassy. The crowd is “sometimes,” so expect a few people out. This is a solid window for a good session.

The Sunday after that, July 26th, has a decent 3 ft swell from the SW with a long 19-second period, but it’s marred by a gentle cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is still strong (1230), but that wind direction will introduce a bit of chop. The long period (19 seconds) means the sets will be well-spaced, which is good for paddling out, but at a beach break like Diamond Street, that long period can make the waves break too straight, so it’s a bit of a caveat.

After that, the final days of the outlook (July 27th to 29th) taper off back into small, messy, cross-onshore slop. Not worth the effort.

So, in summary: grit your teeth through the first week, have a look on the morning of the 19th if you’re desperate, but circle the morning of Saturday, July 25th. That’s your best bet. The offshore wind and solid 5 ft swell will give you the cleanest, punchiest surf of the whole period.

Rusty.

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