Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on Friendly Beaches. Honestly, mate, the first week is a bit of a mixed bag – we’ve got a slow start, some proper pulses, and a couple of wildcards late in the game. The real standout for me is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August, but we’ll get there. Let’s paddle through it.

The first few days are pretty ordinary. Monday the 27th of July has small waves at 1 ft from the southeast, with a very long period of 16 seconds and combined energy of just 95 (weak). The wind is a light cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but there’s no punch. Tuesday the 28th shows a bump in size to 6 ft from the north, but the period is a short 6-7 seconds, and the energy is moderate (439-481). It’s a bit messy and marginal. By Wednesday the 29th, it’s poor – 3 ft onshore slop with a fresh breeze, energy dropping to 136, and then 1.0 ft with rain and 19 mph winds. Not worth a paddle.

Thursday the 30th of July is the first real flicker of life. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the south, with a moderate 9-second period and energy of 574 (moderate). The wind is offshore – 12 mph from the west – and it’s moderate offshore and clean. Friday the 31st has 3 ft swell from the south, energy around 168-203, and lighter winds. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday the 1st of August is a total glass-off morning – 2 ft from the southeast, 11-second period, and calm winds with glassy conditions. Energy is a weak 113, so it’s small, but for a longboard or a sneaky foamie, it’d be a dream. The afternoon goes cross-on and choppy, so get out early.

Sunday the 2nd brings 4 ft to 4 ft from the north, short period of 5 seconds, and energy up to 213. The wind is light cross-off, so it’s clean, but the short period means it’s a bit sectiony. Monday the 3rd of August sees 2 ft to 3 ft from the southeast, with a lovely 14-second period (groundswell) and energy of 279. Winds are light and cross-off, giving clean conditions. This is a nice little run for a point or reef, but at a beach break like Friendly Beaches, the long period might make it a bit straight.

Now, here’s the standout: Saturday the 8th of August. The morning is pure magic. The swell is 8 ft from the east-southeast, with a 11-second period and combined energy of 1269 (strong). The wind is calm – absolutely glassy. The notes say “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and that’s spot on. At over 8 ft, this is for experts only, but the power, the size, the clean lines – this is the morning to be out there. The afternoon fades with cross-on winds and chop, so that morning window is your ticket.

Before that, Thursday the 4th of August has 6 ft from the south with a fresh offshore wind (19 mph), energy of 540, but it’s marked as marginal. Still, for a strong surfer, that offshore could be epic. Friday the 7th of August afternoon is a warning – the swell hits 10 ft from the east-southeast, with a 12-second period and energy of 2200 (very strong), but it’s noted as too big for this break. Kite surfers might be drooling, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

The last few days fizzle out. Sunday the 9th to Tuesday the 11th of August sees dropping swell, cross-chop, and poor conditions. The run on the 8th is the one to circle on your calendar.

So, bottom line: the first week is a slow build, with a few clean but small windows. The absolute standout is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August – 8 ft, glassy, strong energy, and made for experienced surfers. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty.

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