Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, we’ve got a solid run of surf coming up at Downtowns, starting this Friday morning the 31st of July and rolling all the way through the 16-day window. This is a reef break that’s fairly exposed to the south-west swell, and it’s a fairly consistent setup, so we’re in for a good stretch.

The water temp is sitting at 80.1°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no need to worry about a wetsuit.

Let’s kick off with the first few days. Friday morning the 31st sees a 4.3ft swell from the SSW with a long 17-second period, but the wind is a light cross-shore from the south at 3 mph, and the energy is moderate (1635). The wave comment flags it as marginal due to tide, so it’s a bit of a wait-and-see. Friday afternoon, though, things clean right up – the wind swings to the ESE at 6 mph and goes glassy. The swell drops slightly to 3.9ft from the SW with the same 17-second period, and the energy is still solid (1319). The data says “expect very good surf conditions,” so that afternoon session is a nice little warm-up.

Saturday the 1st of August morning is a bit messy with a light cross-on breeze from the SSW at 6 mph, 4.6ft of SSW swell, 16-second period, and moderate energy (1417). The afternoon is the real standout for the first week: glassy conditions with a 3 mph breeze from the ESE, and the swell bumps up to 5.6ft from the SSW, 17-second period, with strong energy (1660). The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and with that glassy surface, it’ll be clean and lined up. This is your best bet for the early days.

Sunday the 2nd of August morning sees the swell hit 6.6ft from the SSW, 16-second period, and strong energy (2039), but the wind is a light cross-on from the SSW at 3 mph. The afternoon is the pick: glassy again with the same ESE breeze at 3 mph, 6.6ft of SSW swell, still a 16-second period, and strong energy (2079). Excellent conditions for experienced surfers – that’s a top session.

Monday the 3rd of August keeps the good run going. Both morning and afternoon are glassy with 5.6ft of SSW swell, 15-second period, and moderate energy (around 1320-1344). Solid, clean, fun waves. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th get a bit more wind, but Wednesday afternoon the 5th is a highlight: the wind goes offshore from the ESE at 6 mph, 5.6ft of SSW swell, 15-second period, and strong energy (1721). Clean waves for the experienced crew.

Now, Thursday the 6th of August is a standout. Morning sees 7.2ft of SSW swell, 17-second period, very strong energy (2966), and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSE at 9 mph. The data says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a big, powerful, clean swell – a proper day for the advanced crew. The afternoon is still clean but a bit more wind.

From Friday the 7th of August through to the end of the first week, the swell holds in the 7.2ft to 8.2ft range, mostly SSW, with periods around 16-17 seconds. The winds are cross or cross-off, so it’s not perfect glass, but strong energy (2300-3504) keeps it interesting. The data flags these as marginal due to tide and wind, but there’s still plenty of push.

The second week brings a new pulse. Sunday the 9th of August morning has 7.9ft from the SSW, 17-second period, and very strong energy (3073) with a light cross-shore. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a 12 mph cross-breeze, but the energy is massive (4206). Tuesday the 11th of August morning sees 8.2ft from the SSW, 17-second period, and the highest energy of the run so far (4255), but the cross-shore wind keeps it from being pristine.

The big one lands on Thursday the 13th of August. Morning: 9.8ft of SSW swell, an 18-second period, and massive energy (5690). Afternoon: 11.5ft of SSW swell, 18-second period, and even bigger energy (7417). This is expert territory – over 8.2ft, those are big, heavy waves. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s not glassy, but the power is undeniable. The data says “marginal surf forecast,” but for a reef break with that kind of groundswell, it

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