Duds Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a rough stretch for Duds Reef. We’ve got a solid run of persistent cross-shore winds from the ENE that are just going to keep things lumpy and messy for the first week and a half. The water’s sitting at a warm 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so that’s one thing you can’t complain about.

The first real flicker of hope doesn’t show up until Thursday, July 30th. That afternoon, the wind finally drops right out, going glassy with a light SSW breeze at just 3 mph. The swell is a small 2 ft from the SW, but with a very long period of 18 seconds, that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate (554). This is the standout of the whole forecast – clean, glassy conditions on a reef that likes a bit of SW direction. It’s not big, but it’ll be the best looking surf of the window. The morning of that day also sees a light onshore from the S at 6 mph, with a 2 ft SW swell, but it’s the afternoon glass-off that’s the real deal. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so for that afternoon session, you might have some company.

Before that, the best we can say is Tuesday, July 29th, has a moderate breeze and a 4 ft swell from the ENE, but it’s still cross-shore and the forecast is poor. The week before that is a write-off with fresh cross-shore winds and weak, choppy surf.

Looking further ahead, the first week of August doesn’t offer much change. The wind stays up from the ENE, and the swell is a mix of small SSW and E pulses, but the lumpy cross-shore chop kills any quality. Nothing to get excited about there.

So, to sum it up: the one true standout is that Thursday, July 30th afternoon glass-off at Duds Reef. It’s a small, clean, long-period groundswell. Everything else is a battle with the wind. For beginners, the swell never gets over 5 ft, so it’s fine size-wise, but the messy conditions will make it tough. The whole first week is a gap of no real recommendations. It’s a bit of a waiting game.

Rusty.

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