Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks.

First off, truth be told, the start of this run looks pretty grim. There's nothing worth paddling out for on Saturday the 4th or Sunday the 5th of July. Tiny little 0.7ft to 1ft slop from the NE and E with onshore or cross-off winds that just aren't doing us any favours. The combined swell energy is barely registering (27 and lower). Save your wax.

Monday the 6th brings a big jump in size, but it's a messy one. We're looking at a solid 8ft SSE groundswell, period around 10 seconds, so it's got some grunt (combined energy of 1342) but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore from the SSE and S, making it lumpy and choppy. This one's a pass unless you're after a battle.

Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th are more of the same – that big SSE energy hangs around (1572 to 1633), but cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, plus intermittent rain, keep things ugly. A few sessions might be just about surfable if you're desperate, but the quality is poor to marginal at best.

Now, we start to see a real flicker of hope by Thursday the 9th. The swell drops a touch to 7ft from the SSE, still a 10-second period, but it's still cross-shore and lumpy. Not great.

Friday the 10th of July – this is where it gets interesting. Overnight the wind swings around to a light WSW (cross-off) at only 6 mph. That 7ft SSE groundswell (11-second period) cleans right up. The combined energy is 1102, so plenty of push, but the light breeze is going to lay the surface like glass. For Freshwater and Harbord, this is the standout window of the whole forecast. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is spot on average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there. This Friday morning is your best bet – clean, solid, and with that longer period you can feel in the paddle out.

Saturday the 11th is still okay. We're down to 5ft from the SE, but a light offshore NW wind makes for clean conditions again in the morning. Not quite the punch of Friday, but still a solid session.

From Sunday the 12th onward, the energy drops away quickly. We're into small stuff (2ft to 3ft) with clean but light winds, and the combined energy falls into the low triple digits or even below 100. Nothing to get excited about. The second week – from the 14th onwards – is flat to tiny, with periods dropping to 5 or 6 seconds and combined energy barely hitting 50. You'd be better off checking the forecast again later.

So, bottom line: Friday morning the 10th of July is your call. That's the one. Clean, 7ft SSE groundswell, light cross-off wind, and the best quality of the whole 16 days. Get it while it's good.

– Rusty

Read more