Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for us.

We’re starting with a strong pulse of groundswell that’s going to be a real handful. Lake Ferry is a sandbar, and that’s a key thing to remember because the first few days are all about big, powerful, long-period swell.

The first real action hits on Monday, July 20th. The morning session is where it’s at. We’ve got a big 8ft SSW swell rolling in with a very long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy reading is a massive 3543, so that’s a lot of power. The water is sitting at 53°, which is about 2° cooler than the norm for this time of year, so a bit nippy. The wind is glassy from the ESE, which is a major plus. This is going to be a clean, powerful wave, but at this size and with that period, it’s only for experienced surfers. The long period will make it sectiony on the beach, but the clean conditions are a big win.

By Monday afternoon, the swell jumps to 10ft from the same SSW direction, but the wind swings cross-on to the SSE. It’s just too big for the break, really. The energy is up at 5316, but it’s a messy, bloated setup.

Tuesday, July 21st, is still offering solid surf. The morning has a 7ft SSW swell and clean offshore winds from the NNE at 10 km/h. The period drops to 14 seconds, still a long-period groundswell. The energy is 1474. It’s still big and powerful, but the offshore wind will make it look better. This is still expert territory. The afternoon is a little smaller at 6ft, with cross-off winds, and it’s still clean.

Wednesday, July 22nd, the swell drops off significantly. The morning has a 4ft S swell with a period of 12 seconds, and the energy is down to 363. The winds are glassy, so it’s clean, but the waves are small and weak. The afternoon is even smaller at 3ft. The action is fading.

From Thursday, July 23rd, through to the end of the month, we hit a real dry spell. There’s a few days of tiny, weak swell with poor onshore winds, and then a massive spike on Sunday, July 26th, with an 12ft to 16ft SSW swell and a very strong energy reading of 8656. But the wind is howling cross-shore at 35 km/h, creating a lumpy, choppy mess. It’s too big and too windy for paddle surfing. That setup is really more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, the wind stays onshore and strong, making a mess of things through the end of July. The best bet in that grim period is a window of glassy conditions on Wednesday, July 29th, with a 5ft SSW swell and zero wind. The energy is 635, a moderate amount. It’s clean, but the period is only 10 seconds, so it’s a bit disorganized.

Looking into the start of August, the outlook improves. On Saturday, August 1st, we get a 7ft SSW swell with glassy conditions in the morning. The energy is 876, moderate. The wind is calm, so it will be clean. This is a proper standout. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s a bit of a windswell, but the glassy conditions will make it a fun, peaky wave.

Then Sunday, August 2nd, is the best on offer in the whole forecast. The morning has an 8ft SSW swell with a 13-second period and glassy conditions. The energy is 1884, which is strong. The wind is light from the WSW, so it’s clean. This is a big, powerful, clean wave, but it’s only for experienced surfers. The afternoon looks a bit dicey with cross-on winds.

Tuesday, August 4th, is another good call. The morning has a 7ft SSW swell, a 13-second period, and clean offshore winds from the NE. The energy is 1427, a strong reading. The period is long enough to have some punch, and the offshore wind will make the faces clean. Another one for the experienced crew.

So, to wrap it up: the first few days are big and powerful, requiring experience. There’s a long, boring gap in the middle of the period. The standout sessions are the morning of Saturday, August 1st, and the morning of Sunday, August 2nd, for the best combination of clean conditions and solid swell. Tuesday, August 4th, is also a strong option.

Rusty.

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