Irmas/Leftpoint Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Irmas/Leftpoint – a reef setup – and it’s a bit of a rough road ahead. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but there’s a big gap at the start where it’s just not worth paddling out. The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 20th of July all the way through to Saturday the 26th, the wind is hammering from the NE and cross-shore, the water’s lumpy, and the swell is either too small or junk. It’s a full week of “poor surf conditions” until we finally get a sniff of something better.

That first real chance comes on Sunday the 26th of July. The swell picks up to 6 ft from the E, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and it has a lot of energy behind it – the combined energy reading is 2394 (moderate wave energy). The water is about 80°F, which is normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. But the wind is still a cross-shore from the NE at 19 mph, making it choppy. The forecast calls it “marginal”, and I’d agree. It’s not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life.

The real highlight, the one that has me a little excited, is shaping up for Wednesday the 29th of July. The swell pushes up to 8 ft from the ENE, with a period of 12 seconds. The wind finally swings to a cross-offshore from the NE at 12 mph, which means the face will be clean. The combined energy is 1999 (moderate wave energy). Now, 8 ft is getting into expert territory – it’s going to be big and powerful. This reef is exposed, so it’ll handle that swell direction well, but with that size, it’s not for the faint-hearted. The wind being clean is the key here. It’ll be a serious session for the experienced crew. Expect crowds here “sometimes”, so there might be a few out, but not a circus.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. By Thursday the 30th of July, the energy fades to 6 ft, and the wind turns cross-onshore, so it’s back to average. The rest of the run into early August is a mix of onshore winds and smaller, shorter-period swell, with the wind staying strong. It’s not going to be a classic run.

So, the standout is definitely Wednesday the 29th of July. If you’re an expert, that’s your window. For everyone else, Sunday the 26th could be a sneaky session if you can handle the mess. The rest… well, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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