Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Friendly Beaches over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’re going to have to be patient. The first few days are pretty ordinary, but there are a couple of moments that will get the heart pumping if you time it right.

Right out of the gate, the surf is poor. Monday the 7th has a 6ft south swell, but it’s getting chopped up by a 12 mph crosswind and the period is a short 7 seconds. Not worth paddling out. The water is sitting at 56°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Tuesday the 8th is a real tease. The morning goes glassy with a light westerly breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3ft. The afternoon flips to a weak 1.0ft south swell, but it has a super long 17-second period – way too drawn out and gutless for this exposed beach break. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

Wednesday the 9th is another write-off. Strong cross-offshore winds at 16 mph keep the small swell (1-3ft) clean but completely un-ridable. The combined energy is moderate (198-385), but it’s all wind-slop.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 10th is the real standout of the whole run. The morning sees a solid 7ft south swell rolling in with a 10-second period. The light westerly offshore wind at 6 mph keeps it clean. The combined energy is strong at 1159. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. That south swell, straight out of the optimum direction (E), will be lining up nicely. The afternoon drops a bit to 6ft (energy 865), but still very good with a cross-offshore breeze. This is the morning to be in the water.

Friday the 11th is clean again with a light 6 mph cross-offshore wind and a 4ft south swell. It’s good, not great, but a solid option if you missed Thursday.

Saturday the 12th starts glassy with a little 3ft south swell. It’s clean and easy, but nothing to get excited about. The afternoon turns to junk with cross-onshore winds.

Sunday the 13th offers a bit of variety. The morning has a 2ft south swell (12 seconds), clean with a light cross-off breeze. The afternoon swaps to a 4ft north swell with a short, weak 6-second period. It’s okay, but the north swell is not the ideal direction for this spot.

Monday the 14th through Wednesday the 16th is a quiet stretch. Small windswell and moderate winds. Nothing worth chasing.

Now, hold onto your board. Thursday the 17th brings a massive 13ft south swell with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a huge 3367. This is monster surf. The wind is favorable, but this break cannot handle that size. This is only for the absolute elite, if anyone at all. The data says it’s too big for the break. Honestly, with that kind of power and the beach-break setup, this looks more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfing.

Friday the 18th is the second standout. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7ft from the SSE, with a solid 11-second period and strong energy (1089). The morning is clean with a light breeze. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a 6ft SSE swell with a gentle offshore breeze – very good again.

The final few days, from Saturday the 19th into the 22nd, are a mess of inconsistent north and northeast windswell with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The 19th morning has a clean 6ft north swell (period 6 seconds), but it’s short-period and not the best direction. After that, it fades into 2ft to 4ft junk. Not worth the drive.

So, two real standouts: Thursday the 10th is your best bet for quality, clean waves in the 7ft range. Friday the 18th is a close second for a similar size but with a more powerful, longer-period swell. Get in there early on both days, as crowds are sometimes an issue, but for that quality, a few others will have the same idea.

Rusty.

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