Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’ve got your heart set on a proper surf this fortnight, you’re looking at a long, flat wait. The first crack at anything even remotely rideable doesn’t show up until mid-July, and even then, it’s a real struggle. We’re talking about a solid week of nothing before we even get a whisper.

The first real chance we get is around Friday the 17th. Harlyn’s got a tiny pulse of swell rolling in from the NNW, pushing about 3 ft, but the period is a short, weak 5 seconds. That’s a super short-period, windswell with weak energy (43). The early morning might be your best bet with a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the WSW, but the surf quality is rated as poor. It’s not going to be pretty, but it’s the first thing we’ve seen. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 64°, a notable anomaly for this time of year.

The rest of the second week and into the third week is a real grind. The swell stays tiny and messy, mostly under 3 ft, with onshore winds battering it. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st see a few more pulses, but it’s the same story – poor surf conditions, short period, and choppy, onshore winds. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Wednesday the 22nd with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is only 1.0 ft. It’s just not enough.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but it’s a long way off. Toward the end of the month, around Tuesday the 28th of July, the energy picks up. A new swell from the west arrives, hitting 6 ft with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 312 (moderate). That’s a bigger, more powerful swell, but it’s still a short period and the wind is a messy cross-onshore, so expect choppy, lumpy conditions.

Then, on Wednesday the 29th of July, the real spike comes. We’re looking at a 7 ft west swell with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy reading is a massive 613 (strong). But here’s the thing – that’s a big swell for Harlyn. It’s over 5 ft, so it’s getting too big for beginners, and with a 7 ft face, it’s firmly in the expert zone. The morning has a light, onshore breeze, which might keep it clean enough, but the afternoon turns cross-onshore. This is a classic case of a big swell that’s tricky to handle. The west swell direction is a good match for the WNW optimum, so it’s a good angle, but the size and the short period mean it’s going to be a powerful, fast, and potentially closed-out wave at this beach break.

The standout – if you’re an experienced surfer and you can wait, Wednesday the 29th of July is the only serious offering. Big west swell (7 ft), strong energy (613), and the light morning wind could offer a brief window of cleaner waves. It’s a promise, but it’s a long way off and the conditions are still tricky. For the rest of us, this is a kite-surfing fortnight. The consistent onshore winds and small, choppy surf are much better suited to a kite than a paddle board.

Rusty.

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