Jennette's Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here. Well, I gotta be straight with you—this 16-day stretch for Jennette's Pier is a tough one. We're looking at a long, bleak run of poor surf conditions with barely a glimmer of hope. The whole first week and a half is pretty much a write-off, with a frustrating gap of decent surf that just doesn't show up.

We start off with nothing. Saturday the 18th is a total mess with a strong south wind at 25 mph and a weak, short-period swell from the south. The wave energy is a pathetic 35, and it's just cross-shore chop. That sets the tone for days. Sunday the 19th through to Thursday the 24th is a continuous run of tiny swells, with most heights under 2 ft, and the wind is either cross-offshore or cross-onshore, but the swell is so weak it's not worth paddling out for. The combined energy rarely breaks 100, just a few days hitting 80 or 89, but it's still poor surf. The water temp is a warm 81°F, which is about normal for the time of year.

Then on Friday the 25th, we get a little spike. The swell picks up to 3 ft from the ESE with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy climbs to 101. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon. That's a tiny window of "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – it's the best on offer, but that's not saying much. The waves will be small, but clean enough for a longboard if you're desperate.

That brief moment fades, and we're back into the doldrums from the 26th to the 28th. Swell drops right off again, with energy in the 30s and 40s. The wind is variable, but the juice just isn't there.

Things get more interesting at the very end of the month. On Wednesday the 30th of July, we finally see some proper swell. The morning looks promising with a 7 ft NE swell at 7 seconds, and a light offshore wind from the NW. The combined energy is a solid 452, and the forecast says "expect good surf conditions". This is the real standout. However, that 7 ft is getting big, and the period is short, so it'll be a bit crumbly and powerful. It's going to be for experienced surfers only. The wind is offshore and clean, so the waves will have some shape. Expect crowds at the pier, as it's a consistent spot that's exposed to the NE. The downside is that the swell direction is NE, which is cross-on for the pier, but with the offshore wind, it should still offer some decent peaks.

The next few days after that have some solid swell too, but the wind turns onshore and the quality drops. Thursday the 31st morning has a 5 ft NE swell, but it's cross-shore, and the energy is at 250. It's marginal. The first of August doesn't look much better.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet by a long shot is the morning of Wednesday the 30th of July. Get on it if you can handle a bit of size and a powerful, short-period wave. The rest of the window is pretty grim. For the kite surfers, the afternoons with a strong cross-shore wind and some lumpy swell might be more interesting than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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