Duds Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got.

Honestly, it’s a tough stretch on the cards for Duds Reef. We’re looking at a long, frustrating run of poor to marginal surf that stretches for a couple of weeks. The wind is almost constantly a cross-shore, mostly from the ENE, and it’s often blowing hard enough to chop things up, making it hard to get excited.

The first day that’s even worth mentioning isn’t until the 24th of July, and even then it’s just barely scraping into the marginal zone. On Friday morning the 24th, there’s a 7ft swell, but it’s coming from the east with a short period of only 7 seconds – that’s windswell, not groundswell. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, so the whole setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The combined energy is moderate (1013), but the quality just isn’t there for a decent surf.

We get a similar story day after day through until the end of July. Swell sizes hover around 3ft to 4ft, but the persistent ENE wind, often a fresh or moderate breeze, keeps that cross-chop messy. The best call in that first week might be the afternoon of the 29th of July. The swell drops to a modest 5ft from the ENE, and the wind actually swings to a cross-offshore from the NE for the first time at 12 mph. That’s the cleanest the forecast gets, but it’s still a very marginal call.

Water temperature is sitting at 80°F on the 22nd, which is only 0.5°F above normal for the time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary for a warm dip.

Looking further out to August, the first week there is more of the same: small windswell, lumpy conditions, and nothing to get the heart racing. The only day that catches the eye is the 5th of August. Wednesday morning sees a 5ft swell from the east, but more importantly, by Wednesday afternoon the swell bumps up to 6ft from the ENE with a period of 13 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1442, suggesting there’s genuine power in the water. But that fresh cross-shore wind is still there, so while the size is there for strong intermediate to expert surfers, the wind will keep it bumpy and raw.

So, if you’re looking for the pick of a pretty average period, I’d say the afternoon of the 5th of August has the most size and energy, but don’t expect perfection. The cross-offshore moment on the 29th of July might offer the cleanest wave, but it’s small. Otherwise, this is a long gap of frustrating conditions. It’s a quiet run, but forecasts can change, and a place like Duds Reef can turn on quickly.

Rusty.

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