Halfway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Halfway over the next couple of weeks.

Overall, it’s a bit of a slow burner. We’ve got a decent stretch of small to moderate SSW groundswell lined up, but the wind is going to be a constant factor, mostly blowing cross-off from the ESE or SE. That cross-off wind keeps the surface clean, so the waves will look good, but it also means the swell isn't getting groomed perfectly glassy. The first few days are pretty marginal. We’re looking at Saturday the 25th with a small 4ft SSW swell, but a 19 mph cross-off wind makes it a bit of a battle. Sunday the 26th picks up a bit to 6-7ft from the SE, but that’s a shorter-period 9 seconds, and the wind jumps to 22 mph in the afternoon with rain showers. The combined energy for that Sunday afternoon is moderate at 1038, but it’s not a standout.

The real action starts to show itself around Thursday the 30th of July. The swell drops slightly in size but the period jumps up to 15-16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The energy is strong, hitting 1303 on Thursday morning and building to 1553 by the afternoon. Winds ease to a moderate 16 mph cross-off. This is a solid run of clean, lined-up waves, but it’s still a cross-off wind, not pure offshore.

Now, the true standout window is the first week of August. From Saturday the 1st, the swell is solidly in the 4.5ft to 6ft range from the SSW, with a very long period of 16-18 seconds. The wind stays cross-off, and the energy is very strong, hitting 1892 on Saturday afternoon. This is the best run of the forecast. The water temp is a very pleasant 80°F, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The best on offer: Monday the 3rd of August morning. That’s the only session that gets a mention of "excellent surf conditions". The swell is 5-6ft from the SSW at 15 seconds, the wind finally swings to a true offshore from the ESE at 12 mph, and the energy is strong at 1270. This will be the cleanest, most organized surf of the whole period. For a more powerful, expert-level session, Thursday the 6th of August is a big one. The swell hits 8ft from the SSW with a 17-18 second period, and the energy is off the charts at 4659. That’s a lot of water moving around. At over 8ft, this is strictly for experienced surfers, and the cross-off wind will make it a handful. It’s a raw, powerful groundswell that will be better suited to the points and reefs than a beach break, which can get a bit straight with that long period.

Right, there’s waves coming, get your gear ready for that Monday morning.

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