Forster Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s look at what's brewing for Forster Beach over the next two weeks. This is a fairly exposed beginner-friendly break, and it works best with an offshore out of the west and swell from the southeast.

First off, it's flat. Dead flat. Tuesday the 14th has barely a bump with 0.6ft to 0.9ft of weak, short-period windslop. Wednesday the 15th picks up a bit – we see a 5ft south swell in the morning, building to a solid 10ft south swell in the afternoon. That afternoon pulse has some guts with a combined energy of (1616), but it's got a 10 second period (groundswell) and rain showers. Wind is cross-off from the SSW at 18 mph – cleaner than it could be, but at 10ft this is big, expert-only surf. Beginners, stay on the sand. Thursday the 16th drops to 7ft south swell in the morning, easing to 6ft in the afternoon, with a SW cross-off breeze around 9 mph and a short 8 second period. It's clean, but the waves will be a bit dumpy. Not a standout.

Friday 17th and Saturday 18th are a write-off. Cross and cross-onshore winds from the SSE and SE with messy, choppy waves. Swell hangs around 4ft to 7ft but the wind is junk.

Sunday 19th is still tricky – 8ft to 8ft east swell with an 11 second period (decent energy at 1694) but cross-on wind from the SE at 12 mph. It'll be bumpy and tough. This one looks more fun for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Now, the good stuff. Tuesday the 21st is your first real highlight. Early morning at Forster Beach gives us 6ft of east swell with a 10 second period and… glassy conditions. Wind is light out of the west at just 3 mph – dead flat water. Combined energy is moderate (701). The waves might be a bit soft with that period on this beach, but for clean, cruisy waves, this is the pick of the bunch. Water temp is about 68°F, which is pretty normal for July – nothing unusual.

The next big one is Thursday the 23rd. First light, we get 7ft of east swell, a 12 second period (nice long groundswell, energy at 1357). Wind is cross-off from the SW at only 6 mph, making for clean, powerful waves. This is excellent quality for experienced surfers. The sets will have gaps, manageable paddling, but the power is high. Beginners will be outta their depth at 7ft.

Friday the 24th morning is solid too: 7ft east swell with a 12 second period and light offshore from the west at 3 mph. Clean and proper.

Swell stays in the 5ft to 6ft range from the 25th to the 27th with mostly cross-off or offshore winds. Good quality, but not standouts. By the 28th, the swell drops to 4ft and 4ft with clean offshore winds – fun small-wave option for the beginners.

The final days of the 29th fade to 2ft – tiny and not worth paddling for.

So here's the call: if you want the absolute best, hit Tuesday 21st July morning for those dead calm conditions and user-friendly 6ft waves. If you want the biggest, cleanest power for advanced surfers, it's Thursday 23rd July morning with 7ft groundswell chips. The rest is a mixed bag.

- Rusty

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