Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m talkin’ straight to ya about the waves comin’ up here at Dunes. This is a reef break, consistent, and it’s hungry for a solid SW groundswell, so that’s a good sign.

Right off the bat, the water temp is sitting right around 75°, which is dead average for this time of year. Not a shock, just what you’d expect.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. We’ve got waist-high lines rolling in on Wednesday and Thursday morning, but the wind is a bit of a joker. Wednesday morning sees a cross-offshore breeze that’s making things look clean, but the energy is just so-so (combined energy around 524). Thursday morning is even smaller, 2ft, and the wind is gusty from the ENE. The surf is there, but it’s not really shouting at you.

Now, hold tight, because the real story is Sunday, the 19th. That’s your standout. We’re looking at a solid 6ft of SW groundswell on the morning, with a long period of 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s gonna bring some real grunt into the reef. The combined energy is a massive 1275, which is strong. The wind is a light cross-off from the ESE, so the face is gonna be clean. Then Sunday afternoon? The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the NNW. It’s going to be absolutely pristine. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – it’s not a beginner wave at that size. Only experts should be in the water.

Monday the 20th is also a solid option. The swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the wind is offshore from the SE at 16 mph, and the energy is still respectable at 540. It’ll be a clean, punchy day.

After that, the week from Tuesday the 21st through to the end of the month gets a bit patchy. The swell drops off into the 2ft to 3ft range, and the wind is often cross-shore or cross-off, with a lot of “poor surf conditions” reported. There’s a gap of several days where it’s just not going to be worth paddling out for a decent wave. The energy is in the low 200s and 100s, just weak.

But here’s a late heads-up. Looking way out, on Thursday, the 30th of July, we’ve got a promising spike. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the WSW, but the period is a very long 18 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 673. The wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE. That’s a long-range call, so it’s promising but not a lock. It could be a beautiful, clean little wave if it lines up, but it’s a long way off.

So, to wrap it up: Sunday the 19th is the absolute standout. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Monday the 20th is a very good backup. The rest of the week is mostly small and weak, but there’s a glimmer of hope on the far horizon for the 30th.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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