Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this Houghton Bay outlook is a bit of a slow burn. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, messy stuff before one real standout window pops up, and then a few cleaner but modest days to wrap things up. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit surprises.

The first week is pretty grim. From Monday 13 July right through to Wednesday 16 July, it’s all tiny, weak waves with strong winds. The swell is lucky to hit 2 ft, mostly from the SSW, and the combined energy is pathetic – between 12 and 136, so barely a ripple. Winds are strong offshore or cross-off, but there’s just no power in the water. You’re better off staying home.

Thursday 16 July afternoon shows a tiny flicker of life – a 1 ft ESE swell with a 16-second period, giving it a bit of push, but the combined energy is only 72. It’s surfable but very ordinary. Not worth a paddle.

Now here’s the standout. Friday 17 July morning is the one to circle. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the SSW, period a solid 14 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1427 – that’s proper moderate to strong energy. Winds are gentle offshore from the N, making it clean. The guidance says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. At 6 ft, it’s pushing the limit for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of time in the water, this is your moment. The afternoon stays solid at 6 ft but the wind picks up a notch, so get on it early.

After that, the weekend gets bumpy. Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19 July see onshore winds and lumpy conditions, with the swell dropping back to 3 ft to 5 ft. The long-period SSW groundswell on Sunday afternoon (20 seconds) has some grunt (1147 energy), but the cross-off wind keeps it messy. Not a total write-off, but not a standout.

Monday 20 July morning has a 5 ft S swell with 1052 energy, but the wind is onshore and light, making it tricky. The best bet after Friday is actually Tuesday 21 July. Both morning and afternoon see 5 ft and 5 ft S swell with gentle to moderate offshore NNW winds, combined energy in the 668 to 916 range, and the forecast calls for very good surf. Clean, solid, and manageable.

The rest of the second week is a mixed bag. Wednesday 22 July through Friday 24 July is mostly onshore slop, with smallish SSE swell and poor conditions. Then Saturday 25 July morning brings a glassy, 4 ft S swell with 520 energy – that’s a clean, fun little session. Sunday 26 July has a similar 4 ft S swell with light offshore winds, good for a longboard or a cruiser. The very end of the outlook, Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 July, fades back to small, weak stuff.

So, the real standout is Friday 17 July morning at Houghton Bay – don’t miss it. Tuesday 21 July is a solid backup. The rest is for the keen or the patient.

Rusty.

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