Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Right, I’m not gonna sugar-coat it – the next 16 days are a real bummer for Empty Lots. We’ve got plenty of swell rolling through, but the wind is locked in cross-shore from the ENE almost the entire run, and it’s mostly a fresh breeze or stronger. That means lumpy, cross-chop conditions pretty much every single day. The wave comment says “poor surf conditions” for every single record, so there’s nothing to get excited about.

The set-up here is a reef break that’s exposed to swell, and the optimum direction is from the SSE. Instead, we’re seeing a mix of SSW and ENE/E swells the whole way through. The only half-decent window is around the 16th of July when the wind drops to a gentle breeze for the Thursday afternoon, but it’s still cross-shore and the swell is tiny at 2ft from the SSW with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, so there’ll be some energy, but it’s breaking straight on a reef break with cross-chop. Not worth rushing out for.

For most of the first week, the swell height sits between 3ft and 7ft, but the period is short (7 to 8 seconds) for the easterly stuff, which means weak, bumpy waves. The combined energy readings hover between 255 and 894 (moderate energy), so there’s movement, but it’s all messy. Water temp is 80°, about average for the time of year – nothing notable there.

The only time the swell gets over 5ft is around the 7th to the 11th of July, with a peak of 7ft on the 10th afternoon, but that’s a short-period windswell from the ENE with cross-shore winds. That’s not a surfer’s friend – it’s more like kite-surfing territory if you ask me. After the 15th, the swell drops to 2ft to 5ft but the cross-shore wind sticks around. There’s a solid two-week stretch here with no recommendation – a blank run that’s pretty normal for the area when the wind doesn’t play ball.

Honestly, I wouldn’t paddle out for any of it. Keep an eye on the forecasts; things can change, but right now it’s a hard pass.

- Rusty

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