Flies Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Alright, let’s have a look at what’s happening at Flies – don’t get your hopes up too high, this is gonna be a lean stretch.

Honestly, mate, for the next 16 days there’s barely a wave worth paddling out for. The whole period is a bit of a dud. There are long gaps – days and days at a time – where the surf is just poor, and nothing really stands out as a good session. The swell is tiny, the periods are short, and the wind is mostly messy. It’s one of those runs where you’re better off checking back later; things can change, but right now it’s looking very average.

Let’s start from the top. Friday the 7th morning we’ve got a bit of swell – 3ft from the SSW with a period of 6 seconds, combined energy is weak (98). The wind is cross-offshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean. The water’s sitting at 72°, which is about average for this time of year. But honestly, it’s just surfable – nothing to write home about. That’s about as good as it gets, which says it all.

From there, it’s downhill. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are both poor – the swell stays under 4ft, the wind picks up and goes cross or cross-off, but the quality is just not there. Combine weak energy (81 to 115) with short period and you’ve got little push and no shape. Monday the 10th morning turns glassy with an easterly breeze at just 3 mph, but the swell drops to 2ft, energy only 39 – too small to do anything with.

Tuesday the 11th through to Thursday the 14th remains poor: swell hovers between 2ft and 3ft, periods of 4 to 7 seconds, and the energy is weak (27 to 62). A few clean windows, but the waves are just too gutless. Friday the 14th afternoon goes glassy again with a 2ft swell, but again, hardly rideable.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th get a bit more wind – Sunday morning sees 22 mph cross-shore winds and lumpy chop, not surfable. By Sunday afternoon the swell pushes to 4ft from the south, period 5 seconds, energy 80, but it’s still poor. Monday the 17th morning shows a bit of promise – 4ft from the SSW, period 6 seconds, but fresh offshore winds from the NW at 19 mph. The energy jumps to 145 (moderate), and it’s clean. This is the best we see, but even then, the period’s short, so the waves will be crumbly and fat. A possible last resort for the desperate.

After that, Tuesday the 18th morning goes glassy – 2ft, 7 seconds, energy 57 – but it’s just too small. Wednesday the 19th onward the swell drops further, with periods lengthening a bit (9 to 10 seconds) but heights of 1ft to 2ft, and the wind is cross or cross-onshore, so it’s all poor. By Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd, the swell’s gone – 0.3ft to 1ft, and the combined energy is a pathetic 4 to 29. Don’t even bother.

If you’re a kite surfer, that Sunday the 16th afternoon with 4ft and cross-off wind might look a bit more interesting, but for a paddle surfer, this is a no-go. Best bet? Keep an eye on Monday the 17th morning for a clean but average wave. Other than that, it’s a long blank run.

Rusty.

Read more