Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s on the cards for Emerald Beach over the next couple of weeks. It’s a point break that’s pretty consistent and works best with swell from the NE. Right now, the water’s sitting at 20°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year.

We’ve got a bit of a wait, to be honest. The first few days are a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. Saturday the 18th has some serious size – 10 ft of SE swell – but with that 30 km/h cross-off wind and a combined energy of 1014, it’s just too big and messy. The afternoon sees 5 ft but the wind picks up to 40 km/h and the surf quality drops to zilch. Sunday the 19th is even more of a beast: 13 ft of ESE swell with 3502 energy, then 10 ft later. Way too big, only for the madmen. Monday the 20th is still chunky at 8 ft and 7 ft, but the wind is better – still, the score says it’s marginal.

Then there’s a real gap. From Tuesday the 22nd right through to the end of July, the swell just drops off a cliff. We’re talking tiny waves, mostly under 1 ft, and often flat. There’s a moment on Tuesday morning the 21st that looks alright – 6 ft of E swell, 563 energy, and a glassy offshore wind from the SSW at 5 km/h. That’s clean, but it’s a one-off before the dry spell. After that, you’re looking at days of nothing worth paddling out for, with the odd 0.7 ft bump. The whole second week of July is a total blank for surf.

Now, the real standout comes on the 1st of August – that’s a Saturday morning. It’s the best on offer by a long shot. You’ve got a solid 8 ft of NE swell, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a strong 1160. The wind is offshore from the SSW at 15 km/h, which is gentle and clean. This is excellent surf, but at 8 ft, it’s tipping into expert territory. The break itself is a point, so it should handle that size well, and the direction matches the optimum NE. Expect crowds though – this spot is often busy.

Sunday the 2nd of August is still decent, with 7 ft of NNE swell and 659 energy, again with a gentle offshore, but it’s a notch down from the Saturday.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow start with a few big, blown-out days, then a long flat spell. The real highlight is Saturday morning, August 1st, with clean, solid NE swell. That’s your window.

Rusty out.

Read more