Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, same story, different numbers. We're looking at Friendly Beaches for the next couple of weeks, and I've got to be straight with you – it's a bit of a mixed bag. Friendly Beaches is an exposed, advanced break that's inconsistent, so you've really got to pick your moments. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is just a touch above average for this time of year, so nothing too wild.

The window starts on Tuesday, July 7th. Tuesday morning brings a small 2ft S swell with a short 8-second period. The combined energy is low, just 145, and while the wind is light offshore from the WSW, the conditions are only called "very ordinary." It's surfable, but it's not worth getting excited about. Tuesday afternoon gets worse – a tiny 2ft E swell with a poor cross-shore wind. I'd skip it.

Wednesday, July 8th, is where things start to look up. The morning sees a 3ft ESE swell with an 11-second period – that's a proper groundswell, which is always a good sign. The combined energy is a moderate 310, and crucially, the wind is glassy. That means clean, smooth waves. The afternoon holds similar quality: 3ft ESE, 10-second period, and still glassy. This is the best on offer early on. It's small, but clean.

Thursday, July 9th, the morning is glassy again with a 2ft ESE swell (145 energy), but it's back to those "very ordinary" conditions. The afternoon turns ugly with a cross-onshore wind and a dropping swell. Not your day.

Friday through the weekend, July 10th to 12th, is largely a write-off. Small, weak swells, short periods, and mostly poor wind. Saturday the 11th has some size – a 5ft N swell in the morning and 7ft in the afternoon – but the period is a terrible 6 seconds and the cross-shore wind is up to 12 mph. That's a messy, choppy mess. Not for paddling, that's for sure. Sunday afternoon has a 3ft N swell with a 16 mph offshore wind, but again, a 6-second period makes it pretty weak (74 energy). Hardly inspiring.

There's a real gap of poor quality here until we get to Tuesday, July 14th. Tuesday morning is a solid little window: a 4ft S swell with an 8-second period, combined energy of 261, and a gentle offshore wind from the WNW. The report calls it "good surf conditions." That's worth a look for the clean lines, even if it's not big.

Then things get interesting on Wednesday, July 15th. The morning shows a 4ft S swell with a very long 15-second period and 561 energy – that's a serious amount of energy for a smaller wave. But the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore, which makes it a bit tricky. However, the real standout is Wednesday afternoon. We see an 8ft S swell, a 10-second period, and a massive combined energy of 1182. That is strong to very strong. The wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-offshore. Now, 8ft is expert territory for sure, but a long-period S groundswell at Friendly Beaches could produce some excellent, powerful lines. This is the biggest and most energetic swell of the entire outlook. If you're an expert, this is your target.

Thursday, July 16th, the morning settles down to a clean, glassy 5ft S swell with 490 energy. That's a good, solid, manageable size for stronger intermediates and above.

After that, the swell drops off again. The second week becomes very inconsistent. There's a small pulse on Saturday, July 18th, with a 5ft N swell (226 energy) and glassy conditions in the morning – decent for a small wave. Then a brief window on Monday, July 20th afternoon, with a 4ft N swell (212 energy) and a gentle offshore wind. That's about it. The rest of the days through to Wednesday the 22nd are a mix of weak, short-period swells, poor wind, and low energy – mostly below 200. It's not looking good for a run of quality.

So, to sum it up: the real standout is Wednesday afternoon, July 15th. That 8ft S groundswell with massive energy (1182) is as good as it gets, but it's strictly for the experts. If you want something cleaner and more manageable, Tuesday morning, July 14th, and Thursday morning, July 16th, are your best bets. For the rest, keep your expectations low.

Rusty.

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