Jelly Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days are a tough watch for anyone looking to get a wave. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a flicker of hope, but it never really fires. Let’s get into it.

The pattern starts quiet and stays quiet. From Friday the 24th of July right through to Friday the 31st of July, every session is a write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is cross-onshore, and the waves are just messy. The combined energy is weak, mostly sitting between 237 and 520 (moderate energy at best), but the wave quality is always poor. The water at Jelly Bowl is a massive 70°, which is 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, you’d feel like you’re in a bath.

There’s a small change around the 29th and 30th of July when the wind swings to onshore, but the swell is still too small and the period is short (15 to 16 seconds), so it’s not doing anything for shape. The energy is still weak to moderate (342 to 396). You’re looking at marginal surf with questionable tide conditions. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Into the first week of August, the surf tries to pick up a little. On Saturday the 1st of August, we see swell heights up to 4 ft from the S, but the period drops to 13 seconds, and it’s still cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (356 to 439), but the wind keeps it choppy and poor. Not a single standout here.

The second week of August is even weaker. From Sunday the 2nd of August onward, the swell fades fast. Heights drop to 0.9 ft to 2 ft, periods fall to 8 to 13 seconds, and the combined energy plummets to between 37 and 155 (weak). The wind stays light cross-onshore or onshore, so the surf is either flat or blown out garbage. The best you could hope for is a tiny windswell on the 3rd of August afternoon, but with an 8-second period and 2 ft from the W, it’s not going to wrap in cleanly.

Honestly, there’s no true standout in this entire 16-day window. The closest thing to a decent session might be the morning of the 31st of July, with 3 ft from the S and a 14-second period, but it’s still cross-onshore and the wave quality is marginal. Not worth hooting about. The break is a reef, so it’s not ideal for beginners even when the swell is small, but with the water so warm and the wind so light, you could at least have a splash. The crowds are "sometimes" a problem here, but with this lack of surf, you’ll likely have it to yourself.

If you’re desperate, keep an eye on the 1st of August, but it’s a long shot. For kite surfers, the cross-onshore wind and small chop might be more interesting than anything for a paddle surfer.

Rusty.

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