Fishermans Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Straight off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough one. The finder is coming up completely empty, so there are no good surf options to shout about in this whole 16-day window. Not a single recommendation. The forecast shows a whole lot of nothing for a solid stretch, so it's a real blank run for the area.

The main spot we've got to look at is Fishermans Reef, a real sheltered beginner reef that rarely breaks anyway. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so pretty average for July.

The first few days, from Sunday the 19th through to Thursday the 24th, are a total write-off. We're looking at tiny, weak swell – mostly 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft – with a combined wave energy reading in the single digits or low thirties. Even though you get occasional glassy mornings like Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st, there's just no power to work with. The conditions are described as "poor surf conditions" every single time, so it's not worth paddling out.

A bit of a bump arrives on Tuesday the 28th of July. The swell picks up to 5 ft from the NW, with a combined energy of 129, which is moderate. But the period is a short 5 seconds, so it'll be a messy, crumbly wall. The wind is a fresh 22 mph from the NW, cross-off, so it'll be clean, but the wave quality from such a short period swell is going to be pretty average. Still, "poor surf conditions" is the call.

The middle of the week, around Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th, the wind gets real strong – 25 to 28 mph offshore from the WSW. That will keep the surface clean, but the swell is a paltry 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft. Combined energy is in the single digits. You'd be fighting a stiff breeze for nothing.

The only time the swell gets a bit of grunt is on Saturday the 1st of August. Morning shows a 5 ft swell from the NNW, with a combined energy of 181 – a moderate, solid pulse. The period is only 6 seconds, so it's still a short-period wind swell, not a long groundswell. The wind is a gentle 9 mph offshore from the WSW, so it'll be clean. But again, the file says "poor surf conditions" for that day. For a break that's this inconsistent and sheltered, a 5 ft short-period swell with a moderate energy level and good offshore wind is the best you'll see, but it's not a standout.

After that, it's back to tiny, weak 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft days from the 2nd of August onward, with moderate cross or cross-onshore winds making it choppy.

So, the reality is, there's nothing to chase. It's a rare occasion where the area is just flat. The breaks are rarely consistent, so a run like this, while disappointing, is more normal for this location. We'll have to wait for the next weather system to change the game. The forecasts can always turn around, but for now, the boards are staying in the van.

Rusty.

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