Hideaway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, looking at the next couple of weeks for Hideaway. It’s a bit of a slow burn, so let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, this Friday morning the 24th of July, we’ve got a 4 ft SSE swell at 9 seconds, but with a cross-shore breeze and a cross-chop, it’s looking messy. The combined wave energy is moderate at 624, but frankly, it’s not one to get excited about. The afternoon drops off too, so we’ll call this one a write-off.

Saturday the 25th shows some promise. The morning brings a cleaner 3 ft SSW swell, and the period jumps to a solid 14 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and with a light cross-offshore breeze, things are looking tidy. The energy is moderate at 398. This is a pick for the patient surfer, but it’s small. The afternoon gets choppy again, so the morning window is the one.

Sunday the 26th and the start of the week are a bit of a gap. The swell drops off and the wind stays cross-shore, churning up the surface. Not much to recommend here.

Now, hold onto your board, because Monday the 27th of July sees a serious jump. The morning swell is 7 ft from the SSW with a 16-second period—that’s a powerful, long-period groundswell. The combined energy hits a strong 2896. This is proper. The problem is the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’ll have a bit of a bump on it. It’s rated for advanced surfers only at this size, and being a rarely-breaking reef, you need to know what you’re doing. The afternoon gets even bigger at 8 ft, with energy at 3039. This is a legitimate, powerful swell, but the cross-shore wind is the caveat. It’s the standout for size and power, but the conditions won’t be pristine.

The rest of the week into early August sees the swell staying in the 4 ft to 6 ft range, but with cleaner conditions. Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th of July have a cross-offshore breeze cleaning things up, but the swell is dropping. The 31st of July is tiny, but glassy.

Now, here’s another proper highlight. Saturday the 1st of August, the morning has a clean 3 ft SW swell with a gentle cross-offshore, but the real magic is the afternoon. The wind goes glassy, with a 4 ft SSW swell at 15 seconds. The energy is moderate at 837. This is where you want to be. Glassy conditions and a long-period groundswell on a reef. It’s a rare combination, and it’s going to be clean. That’s your best bet of the whole outlook.

Sunday the 2nd of August carries that magic into the morning with another glassy session and a 4 ft SSW swell. The afternoon gets a light cross-shore, so the morning is the window.

The following week gets a bit messy. Monday the 3rd of August brings onshore winds and a bumpy 4 ft to 6 ft swell. Not ideal. The middle of the week gets a bit of a clean-up, but the swell stays small.

Then, on Wednesday the 5th of August, we get another glassy morning with a tiny 3 ft SSW swell, but the period is a very long 17 seconds. This is a whisper of a swell, but on a glassy reef, it could be a fun little session. And Thursday the 6th of August offers another glassy morning with a 3 ft, 15-second SSW swell. These are the small, clean windows for the expert who can make the most of it.

The final weekend, the 7th and 8th of August, sees the wind turning onshore and the condition dropping. The surf is there, but it’s not the quality you’d want to paddle out for.

So, the bottom line: Hideaway is a rare-breaker, so you have to be on it. The standout window is Saturday the 1st of August afternoon and Sunday the 2nd of August morning for glassy, clean conditions. The big, powerful swell on the 27th of July is a major event, but the wind will keep it from being perfect. Keep your eyes on the glassy days, because that’s when this reef will show its best.

Rusty.

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