Fare Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Fare Left.

Overall, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through, but the wind is going to be a real factor most days. The water temp is sitting around 80°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

The first few days, from Thursday the 16th through to Sunday the 19th, are a bit of a write-off for a quality session. The swell is there, with waves around 8ft on Thursday afternoon and again Sunday morning, coming from the S/SSE, but the wind is howling at 19 mph from the south. It’s cross or cross-off, so the ocean’s going to be a lumpy, choppy mess. The energy is strong (3186 on Thursday), but it’s just not clean. You’d be battling more than you’d be surfing.

We then get a shift. Monday the 20th is the first real standout. The wind swings offshore from the ESE, blowing at 19 mph, and the swell has a long, powerful pulse from the SSW. The wave height is 6ft to 7ft, but the period is a very long 21 to 22 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The energy is massive (5136 on Monday morning). This is a reef, so it’ll handle that long period well, giving you some beautifully shaped, powerful lines. The clean, offshore conditions will make it feel like a different spot. This is the pick of the first week.

The run continues into Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd, with more strong SSW swell, 8ft to 10ft, and clean offshore winds. The energy stays high (over 3000 and up to 4985). This is serious, heavy surf. Anything over 8ft here is for experienced surfers only on a reef. The period is dropping from 18 seconds to 17 seconds, so still long and powerful. Expect some big sets.

By Thursday the 23rd, the swell is still solid at 8ft to 10ft, but the wind goes more cross-off, so it’s still surfable, just not as pristine as earlier in the week.

Then we hit a real gem. Friday the 24th of July. The N wind drops to just 3 mph in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s dead calm and glassy. The swell is a clean 7ft dropping to 6ft from the SSW with a 14-second period. The energy is moderate (1690-1721), but the conditions are just perfect. The “glass” state makes it a dream session. This is the other standout – a morning of empty, clean lines over the reef.

The second week from the 25th onward sees the swell drop off steadily. The 25th and 26th are smaller, 5ft down to 3ft, with the wind turning cross and cross-on, so it gets a bit grovelly. The energy drops right off (254 by Sunday afternoon). From the 27th to the 28th, we’re in the 3ft range with glassy spells, but it’s very small.

The week from the 29th of July shows a little pulse again. Wednesday the 29th morning has a clean 5ft from the S with a 14-second period and light offshore winds. The energy is back up to 1005. That’s a solid, clean period for a more relaxed session. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st keep the trend going with waist-high, clean surf from the SSE, with some glassy periods. It’s not the bomb of the first week, but it’s a nice, clean way to finish the outlook.

The real standout days are Monday 20th July and Friday 24th July. Monday for the sheer power and long-period groundswell with offshore winds, and Friday for the absolute perfect, glassy conditions.

Rusty.

Read more