Halfway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into the local outlook for the South West-facing breaks around here. We’ve got a solid run of surf ahead, but you’ll want to pick your moments carefully, especially with the size and the cross-off wind that’s gonna be a constant companion.

The overall pattern is a long, persistent SSW-to-SW groundswell that starts up this week and just keeps on giving. The water temp is sitting right on 80°F, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Monday 7th kicks things off, but honestly, it’s a bit of a warm-up. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the SSW with a 14-second period, but that cross-off wind from the SE at 12 mph is making it feel a bit average. The wave energy is strong (2003), but the conditions are just “marginal.” The swell drops a little on Tuesday 8th afternoon to 6ft, but the period jumps to a very long 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell. That long period can make beach breaks a bit straight, but for a point or reef, it’s gold. The combined energy is still very strong (3342). The breeze stays cross-off, so it’s clean but not perfect.

Wednesday 9th morning sees the swell bump up to 8ft, again from the SSW with a 16-second period, and the energy is cranking (3182). By the afternoon, the wind drops to a gentle 9 mph, and the conditions are marked as “excellent” for experienced surfers. That’s a good window. The swell holds through Thursday 10th morning, around 7ft with a 15-second period, and the wind is still light and cross-off. For the intermediate surfer, this is a solid call, but remember, anything over 5ft starts to get a bit heavy for the groms.

The pattern then settles into a slightly smaller, but still consistent, run of 5ft to 7ft swells from the SW through the rest of the week and into the next. The wind stays cross-off, mostly from the SE or ESE at 9 to 16 mph. The wave energy stays in the moderate to strong range (1157 to 2813). It’s all very surfable, but nothing is screaming “standout” until we get to the end of the run.

Now, the real standouts are the last few days. Friday 18th shows a shift: the morning has a smaller 4ft swell from the SW with a 16-second period, but the wind is a light 9 mph cross-off, and the conditions are “excellent.” The energy is moderate (1284), but the quality for the size is top-notch. Then Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th are the pick of the whole forecast. The swell jumps back to 8ft to 8ft, direction SSW, with a 16-second period. The wind is a gentle 9 mph cross-off, and the combined energy is very strong (2799 to 3931). The conditions are “excellent” and the scores are the highest we see. The swell is solid, so this is for the experienced crew. It’s going to be big, powerful, and clean.

Looking further out, Monday 21st is still excellent with a 7ft swell and a light 6 mph wind – that’s as close to glassy as you’ll get here. But Tuesday 22nd is a bit of a different story. The swell is forecast to be massive: 10ft in the morning, peaking at 12ft in the afternoon, with a very long 20-second period from the SSW. The wave energy is off the charts (9187 and 9875). The wind is light, but the size is simply too big for this break. The model says it’s too big, and I agree. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. Save your energy for the Saturday and Sunday before.

The break we’re focused on is Halfway. It’s exposed to the SW swell, and the optimum direction is SW, so this swell train is right on the money. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but it can get crowded sometimes, so don’t expect to have it to yourself. The early part of the week is a bit of a grind, but the best of the best is Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th. Don’t miss it.

Rusty.

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