Jailbreaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Jailbreaks. There’s a bit of a slow start, but if you’re patient, the second half of this outlook has some serious muscle.

First up, we’re lookin’ at a solid run of waves starting Monday the 20th of July. The water temp is sittin’ at a warm 85.1°, which is about 1.3° above the norm for this time of year, so it’s feelin’ a touch toastier than usual. The reef at Jailbreaks is exposed to the south, and the optimum swell direction is from the south, so we’re in the sweet spot.

Monday afternoon kicks things off with a clean 2.3 ft SSW groundswell, with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a long period, which means proper lined-up waves, and the energy is moderate (336). The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze, keepin’ the surface clean. It’s a mellow start, but a good sign of things to come.

Tuesday the 21st of July, we’ve got Tuesday morning with glassy, offshore winds from the SSW at just 3 mph, and the same 2.3 ft swell. The energy is still moderate (299). It’s gonna be clean, though maybe a little small. Tuesday afternoon the wind picks up a touch to a light cross-off, but still clean with 2.6 ft surf.

Wednesday the 22nd of July, the swell picks up a notch to 3.6 ft from the SSE, but the period drops to 9 seconds. That’s a shorter period, so the waves won’t be as punchy. Wednesday morning still has clean conditions with a light cross-off breeze, but by the afternoon, the wind goes cross-shore and we get a bit of cross-chop, so it gets a bit messy.

From Thursday the 23rd through to Saturday morning the 25th of July, we’re in a bit of a lull. The swell hangs around 3.0 ft to 3.9 ft, but the period is short and the wind is mostly cross-shore. The forecasts are callin’ it marginal, so you’d be paddlin’ around lookin’ for a half-decent one. Not worth the paddle.

Then things start to get interestin’. Saturday afternoon the 25th of July, the swell shifts to the SE at 4.3 ft with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy jumps to 528 (moderate). The wind goes cross-offshore, and it’s clean. This is where the quality starts to show.

Sunday the 26th of July, we’ve got Sunday morning with a clean 4.3 ft SE swell, period 10 seconds, and light cross-off winds. The energy is now 611 (moderate). This is a good session. Sunday afternoon gets a little cross-shore, so it’s not as clean, but still 4.6 ft.

Monday the 27th of July, Monday morning is a standout. Clean, 4.3 ft SE swell, 10 seconds, and offshore wind from the SW at 6 mph. That’s a proper window of clean, head-high surf. The energy is 500 (moderate). This is a solid day for the advanced crew.

Now, here’s where it gets real. Look at the end of July and into August. The swell directions go back to SSW, which is the optimum for Jailbreaks, and the periods get long again. On Wednesday the 29th of July, we’ve got a 2.0 ft swell with a 20-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell. The energy is already 535 (moderate). The wind is light cross-off. It’s small, but the long period means it’ll have some push.

But the real fireworks start on Thursday the 30th of July. Thursday morning, we’ve got a 4.6 ft SSW swell, period 17 seconds, and the energy is a whopping 1244 (strong). The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is over 3.3 ft, so it’s not for beginners, and with that long period, the sets will be powerful and well-spaced. This is the best of the bunch.

Friday the 31st of July, the swell builds to 5.2 ft from the SSW with a period of 18 seconds on Friday morning – energy of 1756 (very strong). That’s big, powerful, and only for experts. Friday afternoon, the wind is still cross-off

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