Exiles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for our little corner of the coast.

First thing you need to know: this is going to be a long, quiet stretch. We’re looking at days of marginal, small surf with hardly anything to get excited about. The only spot that’s even on the radar is Exiles (point break). That’s it. So if you’re keen for a paddle, this is where you’ll be.

Right now, through Wednesday afternoon the 29th of July, it’s small. We’ve got a 3ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a long period of 16 seconds, and combined energy is moderate at best (415). But the wind is cross-onshore WSW at 15 km/h (about 9 mph), so it’s messy. Not worth suiting up. The water temperature is 73°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – over 7°F above average, so that’s a real standout.

Thursday morning the 30th of July offers the first real glimpse of something decent. Swell drops to 2ft, still from the SSW, period 16 seconds, but the wind goes light cross-offshore from the SSW at 10 km/h (about 6 mph). That’ll clean it right up. Energy dips to moderate (226), but the wave shape should be tidy. That morning window is your best short-term call, but it’s not a standout for size.

Friday morning the 31st of July is the pick of the first week. Swell holds at 3ft, period drops slightly to 14 seconds, but you’ve got light cross-offshore winds again at 10 km/h (6 mph). The combined energy is moderate (286) and the conditions should be clean. It’s small, but it’ll be the most organised of the lot.

From Saturday the 1st of August onward, the swell drops into the 1-2ft range and never really recovers. The wind flips around between cross-off, cross, and cross-on through the rest of the forecast. Most mornings are clean with light breezes, but with such tiny swell and low energy – often in the double digits or low triple digits – it’s really only a paddle. Thursday the 6th of August afternoon gets a bit choppy with a moderate cross-onshore breeze at 20 km/h (about 12 mph).

Now, into the second week, things stay stubbornly small. Mornings from Friday the 7th of August through to Wednesday the 13th of August show a tiny increase to 2-2ft, with periods getting long again (16-19 seconds). The wind is light and cross-offshore on several mornings, so surfaces will be clean. But the combined energy is only moderate at best (234 on the 8th morning, 220 on the 12th morning). The swell direction remains SSW, which is cross-off for Exiles – that’s the only positive. It’s going to be a long-period groundswell, so the point setup at Exiles should handle it better than a beach break, giving you longer lulls between sets. Still, the size is tiny for anything but a longboard or a foiler.

Tuesday the 11th of August afternoon sees a bump in energy to 302, but the period is 18 seconds and the wind goes cross-onshore from the west at 15 km/h (9 mph), so it’ll be choppy. Not worth it.

The standout window, if there is one, is Friday morning the 31st of July. It’s the most surfable combination of small but clean swell and light offshore wind. The crowd situation at Exiles can be “sometimes” busy, so you might have company, but with conditions that clean, it’s worth the early paddle.

Bottom line: we’ve got a long flat spell with only tiny, unremarkable surf. The best of a quiet run comes Friday morning. After that, it’s small and clean on some mornings but never really gets going. If this area isn’t known for long flat spells, keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change. For now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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