Lake Ferry Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what Lake Ferry’s got cookin’ over this 16-day stretch. I won’t sugarcoat it—we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious potential brewing for the experienced crew later on.

First thing first, that opening Sunday (12 July) is actually a little teaser. 3ft of SSW swell, clean as a whistle with glassy conditions and only a 3 mph northerly. The water’s sitting at 51°, which is a good 3° colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a good thick steamer. The combined energy is weak though, at 266, so don’t expect much push. Still, a glassy session on a 3ft wave is a nice way to ease in.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Monday 13 July right through to Thursday 16 July, it’s basically flat or junk. Swell drops to 0.7ft to 1ft, and the wind is mostly cross-off and fresh, with 16 to 19 mph gusts. Energy levels tumble into the teens and thirties. Barely worth paddling for. Thursday 16 July gets a tiny bump with glassy conditions on 1.0ft, but it’s still pretty ordinary.

Friday 17 July is where we start to see a change. A new ESE swell rolls in at 2ft to 2ft with a very nice 15 to 16 second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the energy reading jumps to 248 and 263 – still moderate but a definite step up. Light offshore and cross-off winds keep it clean. It’s not huge, but for a sandbar setup like Lake Ferry, long-period ESE swell can offer some fun lines, especially if you can find a bank.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the brave. Saturday 18 July sees a big jump in power, but it’s messy. A 5ft SSW swell with a massive 20-second period hits, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore and it’s lumpy. The energy reading for that Saturday afternoon is a whopping 2594 – that’s serious power. Not for the faint-hearted and honestly, the conditions look more like a kite-surfing day than a clean paddle session.

The standout, and I mean the real standout, is Sunday 19 July into Monday 20 July. Sunday morning is absolutely pumping: 8ft of SSW swell with a 17-second period, clean as a whistle with a 6 mph offshore northerly. The combined energy is 3615 – that’s strong to very strong. This is expert territory, way too big for beginners. The break is fairly consistent, but at that size, it’ll be a handful. The afternoon drops slightly to 7ft, still with clean conditions, and the crowd situation at Lake Ferry can be “sometimes,” so you might have a few out but nothing mental.

Monday 20 July keeps the goods coming: 7ft in the morning, dropping to 7ft in the afternoon, both with clean winds and glassy conditions. The swell direction swings a bit more southerly by Tuesday 21 July, with 7ft to 6ft and light offshore breezes. Energy levels are still well into the thousands. This whole run from Sunday to Tuesday is your window if you’ve got the skills.

After that, the quality drops off quickly. Wednesday 22 July is still surfable at 4ft and glassy in the morning, but by the afternoon the onshore wind kills it. From Thursday 23 July onwards, it’s pretty much a write-off: onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and dropping swell. Saturday 25 July throws up a huge 13ft SSW swell, but it’s way too big for this break – that’s a solid warning sign for even the most experienced. Energy is 1959, but the period is only 8 seconds, so it’s windswell mixed in. Not the one.

The rest of the month fizzles out with small, short-period leftovers and poor wind. A long gap of no real recommendations from Wednesday 23 July through to the end of the period.

So to wrap it up: be patient, the first week is mostly a write-off. The real action hits from Friday 17 July with a building trend, and the absolute best is Sunday 19 July through Tuesday 21 July – big, powerful groundswell, clean winds, but strictly for experts. Don’t bother if you’re learning. Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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