Fingal Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s on the cards for Fingal Bay over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with a rough start, then a couple of genuine windows of opportunity if you’re patient.

The water’s sitting at 67°, which is about bang on average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

First up, the next few days are pretty grim. Tuesday the 14th has tiny waves of 1ft, and while the wind is cross-off, the energy is weak (24) and it’s just not worth it. Wednesday the 15th is a write-off with a strong onshore wind and a messy 6ft to 10ft swell that’s way too blown out. Thursday the 16th morning is the first real standout. The swell is a solid 7ft from the south, with a period of 8 seconds, and it’s glassy – that’s a major positive. The combined energy is moderate (505), and the forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the pick of the first week, but that 7ft is getting up there, so it’s better for experienced surfers. The wave is a beach and point setup, so it can handle it.

After that, it’s a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions. From Friday the 17th through to Monday the 20th, it’s mostly cross-onshore winds with chop, and the swell quality drops right off. There’s a brief window on Tuesday the 21st morning with a clean 2ft groundswell (period 11 seconds, energy 90), but it’s tiny and only “surfable but very ordinary.” The gap in good surf stretches from the 16th afternoon all the way until the 27th.

Now, the real standout in the second week is Monday the 27th afternoon. The wind goes offshore from the NNE at 9 mph, the swell is 4ft from the east with a long 12-second period, and the energy is solid (592). It’s clean and glassy – perfect conditions. That’s a groundswell, so it’ll be better shaped with longer gaps between sets, which is great for a beach and point break like Fingal Bay. Tuesday the 28th also looks excellent, with a clean 4ft east swell (13-second period, 675 energy) and cross-off winds. Both these days are the best on offer, but they’re a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecast.

If you’re a beginner, the only safe window is the tiny 2ft morning on the 21st, but it’s very ordinary. The bigger swells over 5ft on the 16th, 23rd, 24th, and 25th are too much for beginners, and the 7ft on the 16th is getting into expert territory. For the rest, the poor conditions with strong wind and chop make it look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on many days.

Overall, hold out for the 27th and 28th, and maybe the 16th morning if you’re keen. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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