Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Friendly Beaches are a real mixed bag. We’re not looking at any big, clean swell that’ll have you calling in sick. The first few days are pretty ordinary, with a weak, short-period swell and only a few glimmers of something half-decent later on. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing wild, but a touch on the mild side for July.

We kick off Wednesday the 15th with a small 2ft south swell, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and the combined energy is weak (85). It’s clean early with a light offshore, but the conditions are just “surfable” – nothing to get excited about. Thursday the 16th sees a similar 2ft south swell, but the period jumps to 15 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. The energy picks up a bit (175), but it’s still small. For a beach break like this, that long period can make it break a bit too straight, but it’s clean with a light offshore wind. Friday the 17th is glassy in the afternoon with a 2ft, 16-second south swell – clean but very small.

The standout window is Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th. Saturday morning has a 2ft south swell, but the period is a massive 18 seconds, and the energy is moderate (262). The wind is glassy. It’s small, but that long-period energy will give you some surprisingly fun, lined-up waves if you’re patient. Sunday morning is the pick of the first week: a 3ft south swell with a 12-second period, clean with glassy conditions, and the energy jumps to 325. It’s not huge, but it’s the best quality we’ll see for a while.

Monday the 20th is a sneaky one. The swell shifts to the northeast, 3ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon, with a consistent 11-second period. The afternoon session has moderate energy (405) and glassy conditions. Midweek, from Tuesday the 21st through Thursday the 23rd, we get a consistent 4ft northeast swell with clean offshore winds – solid for a fun, uncrowded paddle.

Then, a real spike hits on Saturday the 25th. The afternoon brings a 8ft south swell, but it’s a short-period (10 seconds) and very strong energy (1378). That’s big, punchy, and messy – definitely for experts only, and even then, the tide might make it a bit of a mess. But then Sunday the 26th is the true standout of the whole forecast. The morning has a 7ft south swell with a 12-second period, and the energy is very strong (1332). The wind is a clean offshore breeze. This is “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – big, powerful, and clean. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is your day. Monday the 27th still has a 5ft south swell (590 energy) with offshore wind, but it’s dropping.

After that, the swell fades quickly. The rest of the second week from Tuesday the 28th to Thursday the 30th is back to small, weak, and inconsistent. The 30th has a messy 3ft northerly swell with a 6-second period – basically a windswell – and onshore wind. Not worth the trip.

Overall, if you’re an advanced surfer, mark Sunday 26 July on your calendar. That’s the day. For everyone else, Sunday 19 July and Monday 20 July offer the cleanest, most manageable waves. The rest is a lot of waiting.

Rusty.

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