Lefthanders Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a real mixed bag over the next couple of weeks at Lefthanders. This spot is a very consistent reef break, exposed to the west-southwest, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave when conditions line up. Right now though, the story is all about size. The swell is just too meaty for a while, but there are a couple of windows where it could clean up and become a proper standout.

The first few days, from Saturday the 11th of July right through to Tuesday the 15th, are dominated by a massive, powerful SW groundswell. Swell heights are sitting between 10 ft and 12 ft, with some pulses hitting 12 ft+. The period is long, 13 to 16 seconds, so there’s a heap of energy in the water (combined energy is between 2820 and 7098). That’s way too big for a beginner-friendly reef – this is expert-only territory. The wind is a mix of cross and cross-onshore, so it’s not all that clean either. There’s a brief moment on Tuesday afternoon (14th July) where it goes glassy with a NNE breeze, and the swell is still a hefty 10 ft, but only the brave should be looking at that.

Wednesday the 15th turns ugly. Fresh breezes swing around to the north and north-northwest, kicking up lumpy, choppy conditions, and by the afternoon it’s raining. The swell drops a little but the quality tanks. This run of poor conditions stretches right through to Saturday the 18th, with strong winds and even a near-gale on Saturday morning, making for blown-out, messy surf. The swell jumps to 18 ft to 20 ft on the 18th with a massive 18339 combined energy – that’s just a washing machine for experts only. Not a paddler’s friend.

Sunday the 19th still has oversized swell (13 ft to 15 ft) but the wind eases a touch. It’s still cross-onshore and choppy though. We’re in a bit of a gap here – the size and conditions are off for most.

Then, from Monday the 20th of July, things start to drop back. The swell drops under 8 ft, and by Tuesday the 21st, we’ve got a 6 ft SW groundswell with a solid 15-second period. The wind goes light and cross-shore in the morning, with just a slight air. The combined energy is 1808, moderate but still punchy. This is where it gets interesting. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The standout is going to be Tuesday the 21st of July, morning session. The swell is 6 ft from the SW, period 15 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell, meaning good shape and power, but at a reef break like Lefthanders, it’ll line up nicely. The wind is light and cross-shore, near glassy. It’s a bit over the beginner-friendly mark (6 ft is pushing it for total beginners, so intermediates and above will love it), and crowds are often around, but with conditions this clean, it’s worth the company.

After that, the wind turns onshore and the swell drops further. Wednesday the 22nd through to Friday the 24th sees clean, cross-off winds but the swell is still borderline (7 ft to 12 ft), and the forecasts keep flagging it as too big or marginal. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th drop to 6 ft to 8 ft, with moderate cross-off breezes and clean conditions, but scores are low – it’s just not quite there for a full recommendation.

All in all, the best bet in this 16-day window is that Tuesday 21st morning. It’s the only real window where the size drops into a rideable range *and* the wind plays ball. The rest is either too big, too windy, or just flat.

Rusty.

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