Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Emerald Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. We've got a weak, short-period swell coming in from the ESE on Wednesday morning, only 2ft with a period of 15 seconds. Combined swell energy is low at 142. The wind is a cross-offshore, but the surf is just too poor to bother with. The water is sitting at 68°, which is about average for this time of year.

We do see a little pulse of life on Wednesday afternoon. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the SE with a period of 13 seconds, and the wind swings offshore. Combined energy jumps to 418, which is a moderate level. It's not a standout, but it's clean and surfable. That's the first real opportunity.

Thursday morning looks okay with a similar 4ft SE swell, but a fresh 30 km/h SSW offshore wind will keep it clean. The energy drops a bit to 286, and the forecast is only marginal. By Thursday afternoon, the swell fades back to 2ft and the wind turns cross-off, so don't expect much.

Friday and Saturday are mostly flat with some tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. Sunday sees a glassy morning with a tiny 1ft SE swell (energy of 31), but it's barely enough to ride.

We then hit a long gap. From Monday the 14th through to Thursday the 17th, we've got nothing but tiny, weak swell with periods of 10 seconds or less. Combine that with onshore winds or glassy conditions on micro-swell, and you've got no surf to speak of. It's a proper drought.

Things start to look a little more promising on Saturday the 18th. The swell returns at 4ft from the east with an 8-second period, and combined energy of 165. The morning is clean with very light winds. It's ordinary, but it's surfable.

The real standout, and the best bet of the outlook, is Monday the 20th of July. By the afternoon, we get a 4ft east-southeast swell with a period of 13 seconds, and the wind goes glassy calm. The combined swell energy is a strong 554. This is clean, lined-up groundswell that should produce some fun, well-shaped waves. The optimum direction for this point break is from the NE, and this swell is coming from the ESE, but the period and the glassy wind make up for it. Keep in mind this break is listed as "fairly consistent," and crowds are often here, so expect some company.

Then, Tuesday the 21st brings some serious size. The morning swell is 8ft from the ESE with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is a whopping 1912. This is big, powerful groundswell. It's not for the faint-hearted – that's expert territory at over 8ft. The wind is cross-offshore at 25 km/h, so conditions will have some texture. Wednesday the 22nd drops to a more manageable but still solid 6ft from the ESE with a 12-second period and very strong energy of 992, with a moderate offshore wind. This is another good window for experienced surfers.

The period then winds down with a clean, glassy Thursday the 23rd morning on a dropping 3ft ESE swell.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a dud. Your best window is Monday the 20th afternoon for a clean, fun session on a nice groundswell. For the bigger-wave crew, Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd offer serious size, but you'll need to be on your game.

Rusty.

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