Duds Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this run of forecasts is a tough one. We’re looking at a bare stretch starting now, with the first real chance to get wet not showing up until Wednesday afternoon, July 29th. Even then, it’s a pretty grim picture for the most part. The wind is our biggest enemy here, with a relentless cross-shore breeze that's going to chop up most of what the ocean tries to offer.

We’re talking about Duds Reef. It’s a reef setup, intermediate level, and it’s fairly consistent, but it’s up against a wall of easterly wind. The first sniff of anything decent is that Wednesday afternoon window. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell is a clean 3 ft from the south with a long 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate (543). This is a real moment of stillness. The water temp is about average for the time of year. For a few hours, it’s gonna be absolutely pristine. That’s your stand-out window for the entire first week. A real gem if you can sneak out.

After that, it’s a mess. Thursday the 30th through the weekend and into the next week, that easterly wind just cranks up. We get cross-shore breezes from 12 mph to a nasty 28 mph. The swell does get bigger, hitting 8 ft on Saturday and Sunday, but it’s short-period, 8-second wind slop, and it’s going to be a total washing machine. The combined energy climbs into the strong range (1130) but it’s all noise. This is less about surfing and more about kite-surfing conditions. For a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off.

We then drift into a long stretch of nothingness. From Thursday morning, August 6th, all the way through to Sunday, August 9th, the scores are a zero. The waves are either tiny, blown out, or both. A couple of afternoons on the 10th and 11th of August show a flicker of life – a 4 ft south-southwest groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind goes light and slightly cross-off, giving us clean conditions. The combined energy is moderate (760). But it’s marginal, and the trend is still not great. The following days on the 12th and 13th just bring back the chop.

So, the honest truth: clear your schedule for Wednesday afternoon, July 29th at Duds Reef. That’s your one shot. The rest of the 16 days is a long, dry gap for quality surf. It’s a bummer, but the forecasts can change. Keep your eyes peeled.

Rusty.

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