Dunes 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.

The overall pattern is a slow burner. We've got a steady run of southwest swell, but for the first week it's small and needs the right tide and wind to line up. The real payoff looks like it's building towards the end of the second week.

We start off Tuesday the 28th with a clean 3 ft SW groundswell, period 13 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (253). The wind is a cross-off from the ENE, so it's rideable, but the score is a marginal one. Wednesday the 29th is similar – 3 ft SW, 14 seconds, but the wind is a bit stronger. Not terrible, but nothing to get excited about.

Thursday the 30th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning session at Dunes is looking like a standout. The wind is offshore from the ESE, 12 mph, and the swell is still 3 ft from the SW, but the period has jumped to 17 seconds. That's a long-period groundswell, which means proper, powerful lines. The combined energy is moderate (427). The offshore wind will keep it clean. This is the pick of the first week.

Friday the 31st morning is another good window with a 3 ft SW swell at 16 seconds and a gentle cross-off breeze. Clean again. The weekend rolls in with a bump in size to 4 ft SW on Saturday the 1st, but the tide conditions are a bit questionable according to the numbers. Still, the morning is clean with a cross-off breeze.

The next few days, Sunday the 2nd through to Tuesday the 5th, are a bit of a mixed bag with onshore winds and poor conditions, so we'll skip those. The wind and rain are not your friends.

Now, the real highlight. Look at Friday the 7th of August. The morning session at Dunes is a beauty. The swell is 6 ft from the SW, with a very long period of 20 seconds. The combined energy is strong (2169). The wind is offshore from the SSE at 12 mph. This is proper, powerful groundswell. At 6 ft, it's getting into the zone that's more for the experienced crew, and with that period, it's going to be a heavy, well-defined swell. The reef setup at Dunes will love this. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th hold onto similar size, with 6 ft SW, but the winds are a bit stronger, though still offshore or cross-off. The energy is still up there. It's a solid run of swell, but the Friday morning is the true standout.

The following week, from Monday the 10th, the swell starts to drop back to 5 ft and then 4 ft, and the winds turn more onshore and cross-off again. The last entry on Wednesday the 12th shows a drop back to 3 ft with a clean cross-off, but it's a return to the smaller stuff.

So, to sum it up: the best surf on offer is Thursday the 30th of July morning for a clean, long-period swell, and the absolute standout is Friday the 7th of August morning for the bigger, more powerful groundswell. That's the one to circle on the calendar. Crowds are a possibility at Dunes, so get out early for the pick of the waves.

Rusty.

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