Iluka-North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the surf coming up at Iluka-North Wall. It’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, so we’ll need to pick our moments.

The water’s sitting at 68°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no dramas there.

We kick off Friday 31 July with a moderate 4ft swell from the south, but that 12 mph cross-breeze is making a mess of it. The combined energy is moderate at 380, but the conditions are poor. Friday afternoon gets a bit bigger at 5ft, but the wind picks up to 16 mph, so it’s a write-off. Saturday 1 August is bigger, with 6ft to 6ft of south-southeast swell, but those rain showers and cross-winds mean the surface is chopped up. The energy is there (683 Saturday arvo), but it’s just not clean.

Sunday 2 August shows a slight improvement. The swell drops to 5ft from the southeast, and the wind eases to 6 mph in the morning, then 3 mph in the afternoon. It’s still cross-onshore, so not perfect, but the energy is decent (744 in the arvo). It’s a marginal call.

The standout window arrives Monday 3 August morning. The wind swings northwest at 6 mph, giving us a clean cross-off breeze. The swell is a solid 5ft from the southeast with an 11-second period, which is a nice groundswell. The combined energy is 623, and the report says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer. The longer period will push through nicely, but it might be a bit straight for the beach break, but at the North Wall it should handle it well. Afternoon on Monday, the wind swings onshore and kills it.

Tuesday 4 August morning has a clean cross-off again, but the swell drops to 2ft with only 8-second period and very weak energy (107). It’s small and ordinary. The rest of the week is tiny, with a few attempts at a clean window. Wednesday 5 August morning has a clean offshore wind from the WSW, but the swell is just 1ft. Not worth suiting up.

There’s a gap of small, poor surf from Tuesday 4 August through to Saturday 8 August. Then we get a glimmer on Thursday 6 August morning with a 3ft south swell, light offshore wind, and clean conditions. The energy is 235, and it’s rated as “good surf conditions.” Friday 7 August morning is also worth a mention: glassy conditions with a 3ft south swell, 9-second period, and 210 energy. That’s a nice, clean session.

We then hit another dry spell of small, choppy waves until Tuesday 11 August, when a clean offshore wind returns with a 4ft swell from the south, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak and lumpy. Wednesday 12 August morning has a clean offshore wind with a 3ft east-southeast swell, but the energy is moderate (232). The morning is the call.

Looking further out, Thursday 13 August morning is clean again with a 2ft southeast swell and 10-second period, energy at 212. Friday 14 August morning has a clean offshore with a 4ft north-northeast swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s a bit of a lottery. Saturday 15 August afternoon sees a sudden spike to 10ft from the south, but with onshore wind and marginal conditions, that’s only for experts, and it’s likely to be a washing machine. That’s 16 days out, so keep an eye on it.

To sum it up: Monday 3 August morning is the clear winner—clean, solid 5ft southeast groundswell with good energy. Friday 7 August morning is a close second for a glassy, clean session. The rest of the time, you’re scratching for a clean wave.

Rusty.

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