Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, we’ve got a pretty wild run coming up at Emerald Beach. It’s going to be a case of patience, because the first week is a write-off, but there’s a proper window of good surf for experienced crew later on. The opening days are a total dud – absolutely nothing to ride, so don’t even bother looking at the water until the back half of the period.

The first real action kicks off on the morning of Saturday, 18 July, but hold your horses. A big 10ft SE swell (8 sec) is rolling in with combined energy at 1194, and it’s blowing a cross-off. That’s way too much size for this point, and the models are already saying it’s going to be too big. The swell builds even more over the weekend, hitting 13ft on Sunday (30 July) with 3051 energy, and it’s still just too darn big. That whole run from the 18th through to Monday the 20th is for the seriously brave or the stupid, and honestly, it’s looking more like a kite surfer’s playground than a paddle-out spot.

The pick of the whole forecast is the morning of Tuesday, 21 July. The swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft from the east (10 sec), with a clean 1026 energy. The wind is a light offshore from the SSW, and the models are calling it excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your standout – a solid, punchy groundswell with clean conditions. The point will be lining up, but at 7ft, it’s still a bit too much for the beginners.

Wednesday morning, 22 July, is the next best thing. The swell drops to 6ft from the east (10 sec) with 573 energy, and the wind goes glassy – dead calm. That’s a magic hour for the experienced rippers, as the waves will be clean and smooth. The afternoon sees a light onshore crease, but the morning is the time.

From Thursday the 23rd onward, the surf settles into a nice, manageable size. 5ft (ENE, 10 sec) on Thursday morning with glassy conditions, and then 4ft on Friday the 24th with a solid offshore wind. The energy is around 300-400, which is moderate, so the waves will be fun but not pumping. The consistency is there, and the wind is holding offshore for most of those mornings, so it’s clean and rideable for intermediates.

The very end of the cycle, from the 26th to the 29th, drops off a bit. The swell sticks around 3ft to 6ft, but the wind stays cross-off or offshore, so it’s still surfable. Nothing special, but a whole lot better than that first week of nothing.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bin. The standout is Tuesday, 21 July morning for the experienced crew. Wednesday, 22 July morning is also a gem with glassy conditions. After that, it’s fun but not epic. Get out there after the 21st.

Rusty.

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