Duckpool Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here with a look at the next couple of weeks. I’ve gotta be straight with you: the overall pattern for Duckpool Bay is a long, drawn-out stretch of flat or near-flat conditions. Most days, the combined swell energy is weak, with figures in the 7-63 range, and that’s just not enough to get excited about. We’re looking at a solid run of nothing until we get to the second week.

You can see the troubles right from Wednesday, July 29. It’s a clear morning with a 2 ft W swell, but the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, making for some poor, rippled conditions. That afternoon, the wind picks up to 12 mph from the W, and it’s just as unappealing. That sets a pattern for the rest of the first week and into the next. The swell just sits at around 1 ft to 3 ft, mostly from the W or WNW, but the periods are short—often just 5 seconds—so there’s no power or shape. The wind is frequently cross-on or onshore, so the surface gets choppy and blown-out. The water temp is about average for the time of year here.

Now, Saturday the 2nd of August morning is a slight tease. We get a clean look with offshore E winds at 6 mph, and a 2 ft W swell, but the combined energy is only 36—still too weak to make much happen. Monday the 4th of August morning also has clean conditions with light offshore E winds, but the swell is even smaller at 1 ft. It’s frustrating because the wind is good, but the ocean just isn’t delivering.

The real standout in this outlook is a long way off. We finally see a pulse of swell arriving on Tuesday, August 11. The morning session shows a 2 ft W swell with an improved period of 6 seconds and a combined energy of 61, which is still low but the best we’ve seen. More than that, the wind is a glassy 3 mph cross-off from the NNE, giving us clean conditions. The report says it’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and for this spot, on this forecast, that’s the pick of the bunch. That afternoon the swell bumps up to 3 ft from the NNW, but the wind swings cross-shore, and the energy is 70—not bad, but likely less clean.

To be honest, Duckpool Bay is exposed to W swells, and optimum swell comes from the W, so the direction is fine. The inconsistency of the break is the other issue. With so little surf on offer for over a week, it’s a frustrating period. The waves rarely have enough energy to form properly, and even when the wind cleans up, there’s just no swell behind it.

So, mark your calendar for Tuesday, August 11 morning. It’s the only moment in this 16-day window that looks worth the paddle. Even then, don't expect anything epic. It’s a nice little window of clean conditions and a bit more push, and that’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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