Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, gather 'round. Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for our local patch. The next couple of weeks have a bit of a story to tell, so let's get into it.

It's a slow start, no doubt about it. The first few days are a write-off, with messy, onshore junk and barely a ripple. Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are just not worth paddling out for, with weak, crumbly 6-foot swell from the southeast and a cross-shore wind that's just gonna chop it all up. The combined energy is high (826 kW/m) but it's all wind-affected, so you're just fighting chop. You'll want to sit that one out.

Saturday the 11th morning sees a drop in size to 3 feet from the ESE, but at least we get a clean window with a light offshore from the NW. It's only a 1/10 score, but it's the first whiff of something surfable. The energy is way down to 385 kW/m, so it's weak, but it's clean. Sunday the 12th is a total write-off with tiny, weak waves and a howling westerly – just 3 feet and 125 kW/m of energy. Monday and Tuesday are flat, so don't bother.

The surf picks up again on Wednesday the 15th, but it’s a stormy mess with 4 feet of short-period slop and a gusty SSE wind. That's kitesurfing weather, not surfing.

Then it gets interesting. Thursday the 16th through to Sunday the 19th, we get a big pulse of southerly swell. We're talking 15 feet to 18 feet of raw power from the SSE and SE, with combined energy readings going through the roof – we're talking 6576 kW/m up to 6855 kW/m. This is heavy, expert-only territory. The problem is the wind is howling straight onshore from the same direction, so it's going to be a blown-out, dangerous mess. For most of us, it's a hard pass.

Now, here's the standout. Look at Freshwater and Harbord on Friday the 24th of July. This is the one to circle. The swell has dropped to a solid 8 feet from the ESE, with a long 11-second period. That's proper groundswell, meaning real shape and power. The combined energy is still a strong 1121 kW/m. But the best part? The wind is forecast to be light offshore from the NW, both in the morning and afternoon. That will make for clean, lined-up waves. The water temp is sitting around 64°F, which is about average for this time of year, so a decent 3/2mm steamer is the go.

This is a true standout for the whole period. The setup looks prime for a good session, especially for the more experienced crew. Keep in mind, this break is a consistent performer and can get crowded, so get there early for a peak.

Before that, on Monday the 20th of July, we have a glimmer of hope. The swell is a more manageable 6 feet from the SE, with a 10-second period, and the wind is offshore from the WNW. The energy is a moderate 804 kW/m. It's a solid option, but the Friday swell is the real winner.

To sum it up: the first week is mostly a bust. Don't even think about the big stuff from the 16th-19th unless you're a pro and like a beating. The only real window you want to be watching is Friday the 24th of July at Freshwater. That's the one.

Rusty.

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