Fitzroy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s coming up for the next few weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.

The first bit of the run is a bit quiet, but things start to pick up. The standout for the whole period is actually right at the beginning, on Sunday the 19th of July. Early morning at Fitzroy Beach, we’ve got a solid groundswell from the WSW running 6 ft with a very long period of 16 seconds – that’s got some serious energy behind it, reading 1904 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a cross-shore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’ll be a bit textured but still rideable. This is a fairly exposed spot, so it’s going to catch that swell nicely. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so a touch warmer than normal. The afternoon does get a bit stronger wind though, so the morning session is your best bet.

Monday the 20th of July has the swell dropping a touch to 5 ft, but the period is still a long 14 seconds. The wind swings to an offshore cross-off from the E at 9 mph, and the wave state is clean. The combined energy drops to 954, but it’s still a decent moderate level. The afternoon is similar, with 5 ft and clean conditions. A solid option if you missed Sunday.

Tuesday the 21st of July morning is a ripper – glassy conditions with the wind from the ESE at only 3 mph. The swell is 4 ft with a 13-second period, giving it a nice shape. Energy is 528 – still moderate. This is a top pick for a clean, cruisy session.

Then we hit a bit of a rough patch. Wednesday the 22nd of July has a 5 ft swell but the period drops to a short 7 seconds, and there’s a moderate cross-chop. Not great. Thursday the 23rd of July morning cleans up though – 5 ft, 13-second period, ENE cross-off wind at 6 mph, and the wave state is clean. Energy is 711 – a good moderate pulse. That’s a nice little window.

From Friday the 24th of July through to the end of the period, it gets messy. The wind picks up big time, with strong onshore and cross-onshore winds, and the swell gets huge – over 8 ft from the 25th of July onwards, and even hitting 15 ft by the 26th of July. The combined energy readings go through the roof, hitting 7193 on the 25th of July afternoon and staying above 4000 for days. That’s very strong wave energy, but the wind is howling – onshore, cross-onshore, or strong cross-shore with lumpy, messy conditions. The waves are way too big and blown out for a paddle. Honestly, for a beach setup like this, from the 25th of July through to the beginning of August, it’s looking more like a kite surfing zone than a paddle surfer’s paradise. There are a few days (like the 27th of July and 2nd of August) where the wind is a bit more favorable, but the swell is 13 ft or more – that’s for experts only, and even then the conditions are marginal.

To sum it up: the best of the run is Sunday the 19th of July morning, with that long-period groundswell and okay wind, and Tuesday the 21st of July morning for the glassy, clean conditions. After the 24th of July, it’s pretty much a write-off for paddle surfing at Fitzroy Beach.

Rusty.

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