Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for Ditch Plains, I gotta be honest with you. We’ve got a long stretch of junk ahead, but there’s a tiny glimmer of hope if you’re willing to wait.

Right now, and for the next week and a half, it’s mostly a write-off. The first sign of any surfable waves doesn’t show up until Thursday, 30th July. Before that, we’re dealing with a solid run of poor conditions. From Tuesday, 21st July right through to Wednesday, 29th July, it’s just a mess of onshore and cross-shore winds, with small, weak, choppy surf. The combined swell energy is low, barely scratching 100, and the wind is just ruining any chance of a clean wave. There’s a gap of about nine days here where I wouldn’t bother paddling out.

Thursday, 30th July does bring a bit of a pulse – a 5ft S swell, period 9s, with moderate energy (323). But the wind is a problem. Thursday morning is light cross-shore, but with rain on the cards, and Thursday afternoon gets smashed by a 22 mph cross-shore that turns it into a lumpy mess. It’s only a marginal call at best, and honestly, it’s not worth getting excited about.

Friday, 31st July, the morning session offers a bit of relief. A 3ft S swell, with a nice WNW cross-offshore breeze at 6 mph. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing to worry about there. But the waves are small and ordinary, just a 1 out of 10. It’s surfable, but you’ll be fighting for scraps.

Now, for the real standout – and I mean the *only* standout in this whole 16-day window – you need to mark your calendar for Saturday morning, 1st August. The stars briefly align. We’ve got a 4ft S swell, period 8s, and the wind is forecast to be glassy from the NW. That’s right, glassy. The combined energy hits 229, which is moderate, and the conditions are expected to be clean. This is the one time you’ll get a decent wave at Ditch Plains. It’s an exposed reef, so it catches everything, and with that glassy wind, the surface will be like a mirror. Expect a few others out there though – it’s often crowded, and with the best session in a fortnight, the lineup will be busy.

After that Saturday morning, it’s back to square one. Sunday, 2nd August through to Wednesday, 5th August, we’re looking at small, weak, onshore slop. Swell drops to 2ft or less, the energy is in the gutter, and the wind is either cross-on or onshore. There’s a final glassy morning on Wednesday, 5th August, but with only a 2ft swell, it’s practically flat. Not worth the wax.

So, to sum it up: the next 16 days are mostly a bust. Your only real chance for a proper surf is that glassy Saturday morning, 1st August. It’s a long way off and a long-range call, so keep an eye on it. But if you’re desperate, that’s your window.

Rusty.

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