Gunnamatta Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's chew the fat on what's coming up over the next couple of weeks.

We're looking at a pretty wild ride to start, with a massive storm swell hitting mid-week. The raw power is there, but it's gonna be a battle with the wind, so you'll have to pick your moments. The real standout, the one that's got my heart racing, is a day of absolute perfection right at the end of the first week into the second.

The first few days are a write-off for a clean paddle. Tuesday the 28th of July is a no-go with 31 mph winds on a 5 ft to 6 ft SW swell. It carries into Wednesday the 29th with a beast of a swell – we're talking 16 ft on Wednesday morning with a near gale onshore wind. The combined energy is a massive 11,922 (very strong wave energy). That's not for surfing; that's for a survival exercise. Thursday the 30th is still messy with a 8 ft WSW swell and choppy cross-on wind. Friday the 31st of July is the first time it starts to look more human. The swell drops to 5 ft, but it's still a bit choppy in the morning. The afternoon is better, with a light 5 ft SW swell and a 3 mph SSW wind that's basically glassy. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Now, Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is small, only 3 ft, with a very long 18-second period from the SW. That long period is a sign of quality groundswell, but it's small. The afternoon is the real story here: the swell jumps to 7 ft from the SW, still with a long 17-second period, and the wind is a clean offshore from the N. This is a solid window, but the real gem is still to come.

The absolute standout session is Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning is nice and clean with a 5 ft SW swell, but the afternoon is where it's at. The waves drop to 2 ft, but the period stretches out to a ridiculous 22 seconds from the SW. The combined energy is a moderate 1,019 and the wind is a light breeze from the E, keeping it glassy. This is a classic clean, long-period groundswell that will wrap in beautifully. It's a session for the connoisseur, not the crowd-chaser, though it is exposed so it'll pick up that energy.

Wednesday the 5th of August and Thursday the 6th of August offer more clean, cross-off conditions with 6 ft and 4 ft SW swells respectively. Then, Friday the 7th of August is another all-timer. The morning sees a 5 ft SW swell with a 16-second period under a clean offshore. But the afternoon... Friday afternoon is glassy. The swell is 4 ft with a 23-second period, and the wind is dead calm. That's a recipe for perfection.

After that, the wind picks up again on the weekend of the 8th and 9th, making it a bit bumpy despite the clean look. The second week gets a bit messy. Sunday the 9th of August has rain and onshore wind, and the following week sees a return of big swell and strong wind. Monday the 10th of August has a 8 ft SW swell, but the afternoon is a 12 ft SW swell that is simply too big for this beach break. The 11th and 12th are back to messy, strong onshore winds and big, unruly swell.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are a stormy mess. The clear winner is the glassy, long-period goodness on the afternoon of Tuesday the 4th of August, and the glassy perfection of Friday the 7th of August. The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August is also worth a look for the cleaner conditions. After that, it's a roll of the dice again.

Rusty.

Read more