Freeport Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the outlook for Freeport Pier over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’re looking at a long dry spell before anything even gets close to being worth a paddle.

The first solid week is basically a write-off. From Monday the 27th of July right through to the end of the month, and into the first few days of August, the surf is poor. Small, weak, short-period windswell from the south is all we’ve got. The combined energy is barely a whisper, sitting between 15 and 30 for most of that time. Winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there.

We finally get a tiny glimmer of hope on Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning shows a bit of a lift with head-high swell at 3ft from the south, and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the west. The combined energy bumps up to 70, which is still weak, but it’s the best we’ll see. The period is only 6 seconds though, so it’s fat, weak, and a bit of a mushy close-out, typical of a beach break. It’s still a beginner-friendly size, but don’t expect any barrels. By afternoon the wind swings back onshore and it’s done.

After that, we drop back into the doldrums. Monday the 3rd of August starts off dead flat and glassy with 2ft, but the energy is gone. The rest of the week is a repeat of small, onshore, weak conditions. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

Then, on Thursday the 6th of August, we get a little something. The morning sees a 3ft swell from the SSE with a light cross-offshore breeze from the west. The combined energy finally creeps up to 81 – still weak, but it’s the most we’ve seen. The wave comment calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is about right. It’s a small, weak day, but if you’re desperate, it’s your best shot. The period is still only 6 seconds, so it’s a short, lumpy little wave.

The standout? There isn’t a true standout. If I had to pick one, it’s the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August for the cleanest conditions, or Thursday the 6th of August for the slightly higher energy. But neither is a day to get excited about. The pier is exposed to the swell, and the optimum direction is SE, but the swells we get are mostly south or SSE, so it’s not a perfect match.

Crowds at Freeport Pier can be a problem even on bad days, but with this outlook, I doubt you’ll be fighting for a wave. It’s more of a longboard or kitesurf sort of week – the onshore wind and weak conditions make it more interesting for the kite crew than for paddle surfing.

Hang in there, mates. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. But for now, leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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