Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

It starts off a bit slow, to be honest. The first few days are pretty lackluster, with only small, short-period swell sloshing around. But if you’re patient, things start to clean up nicely as we head into the second week. The real standout action looks like it’s gonna be towards the middle of next week, with a proper pulse of energy.

The only break we've got to work with is Dunes, a reliable little reef setup. The water temp here is sitting at a comfortable 25°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Friday the 3rd is a write-off, to be honest. We've got a cross-offshore breeze messing with a tiny 0.9m (about 3 ft) southwest swell. Not worth suiting up.

Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th are similarly poor. The swell stays tiny, dipping to 0.7m (about 2 ft) on Sunday morning, and even though we get a light offshore wind on Sunday morning, the swell just isn't there to do anything with.

Monday the 6th is where we see a little flicker of life. The morning is still borderline, but the afternoon session looks alright. Swell bumps up to 0.9m (about 3 ft) from the WSW with a better 14-second period, and the wind goes light and clean. The energy is moderate at 372, so not crazy, but you could get a few.

Now, Tuesday the 7th is the first real highlight. The swell jumps up proper. We're looking at 1.5m (about 5 ft) in the morning and 1.7m (about 6 ft) in the afternoon from the WSW, with a long period of 15 seconds. This is a groundswell, lads. The combined energy is strong, 1011 in the morning and 1239 in the afternoon. The wind is offshore to cross-offshore, keeping it clean. It's a bit sizey, so not for beginners, but for intermediates and up on that reef, there will be some solid, well-shaped waves rolling through. The crowds at Dunes can be a thing, so get out there early.

Wednesday the 8th drops back a bit, down to 1.2m (about 4 ft), and the wind picks up strong from the ENE, making it a bit of a battle.

Thursday the 9th morning is the other standout. Swell holds at 1.2m (about 4 ft) from the WSW with a very long 16-second period, and we get a gentle offshore wind from the SE. The energy is a solid 691. This is prime Dunes. That long-period groundswell will be linking up beautifully on the reef, giving you long, clean lines. It’s a proper session for those who know the spot. The afternoon turns a bit onshore, so make it a morning mission.

Friday the 10th morning is another good call, with 1.3m (about 4 ft) of WSW swell and a 15-second period, and a light offshore breeze. The energy is 844. Get on it.

From Saturday the 11th onwards, it fades again. The swell drops back to under 1m (under 3 ft) and stays weak through to the middle of the next week.

There’s a little blip on Tuesday the 14th afternoon, where it goes glassy with a 1.0m (about 3 ft) southwest swell and a 16-second period. The energy is moderate at 527, and with no wind, it’ll be as clean as it gets. Worth a look if you’re jonesing.

Wednesday the 15th through Friday the 17th is a no-go. Strong to gale-force winds will batter the coast, making it a complete mess. For the first half of that run, the swell is small anyway, but by Friday the 17th afternoon, the swell period jumps to 18 seconds and energy to 916, but the 40 km/h (about 25 mph) cross-shore wind will ruin any chance of a decent wave.

Saturday the 18th sees the swell build again to 1.5m (about 5 ft) with a 16-second period and strong energy of 1170, but the wind is howling onshore at 40 km/h (about 25 mph). Clean it ain’t. For that session, with the size and the howling onshore wind on a beach setup, it looks more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

So to wrap it up: the absolute best window is Tuesday the 7th and Thursday the 9th into Friday the 10th of July. The long-period groundswell will have Dunes firing, just watch out for the crew.

Rusty.

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