Lefthanders Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s on the table. We’ve got one spot in the firing line for this entire 16-day stretch, and it’s a big one: Lefthanders. This wave is a reef setup, very consistent, and exposed to the swell. It’s a beginner-friendly wave but don’t let that fool you – when it gets big, it gets mean. The water temp right now? Hard to say exactly how it feels, but it’s sitting pretty much where it should be for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

Right off the bat, the outlook is pretty wild. We start on Thursday morning, July 9th, with a solid 10ft WSW swell. The combined energy is pumping at (3572). But here’s the thing – this spot is exposed and that’s just too much juice. It’s blowing 10 km/h from the NNW, cross-on, and it’s messy. The swell is simply too big. This continues all through Thursday and into Friday. The swell drops a touch on Friday morning to 5.2ft, but the wind goes cross-shore at 20 km/h, and the energy is still high (2571), so it’s chopped out. Not your day.

Saturday July 11th? The morning is still a write-off – 8.2ft and cross-shore winds. By Saturday afternoon the swell jumps back up to 10ft, the energy is massive (3634), and the forecast says the wind and tide are favorable, but the wave is just too big for this break. This theme of "too big" repeats through Sunday July 12th and Monday July 13th. On Monday morning, things get interesting. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, but the swell is a massive 13ft with a 16-second period (energy at 7783). That’s a very long period groundswell. For a reef break like Lefthanders, that means long, clean lines, but at that size, it’s strictly for experts. The period is so long that it will barrel, but only the best will get in.

Tuesday July 14th is clean with cross-offshore winds from the NE, but again, 11.5ft swell is just too big for a beginner spot.

Now, here’s your standout window. The morning of Wednesday, July 15th. The wind is dead glassy, calm. The swell drops to 7.9ft from the SW, with a 14-second period. The energy is (2150). The forecast calls this “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” At 7.9ft on a reef, with glassy conditions, this is the pick of the whole run. It’s still overhead, but it’s manageable. This is the morning to paddle out.

After that, we go right back into massive, angry surf from Thursday July 16th through to the end. Friday July 17th is a disaster with fresh onshore winds at 30 km/h and poor conditions. The weekend of July 18th and 19th sees 15ft to 20ft swells with very strong energy (16737 on Sunday morning). That’s a 20ft swell with a 15-second period and glassy winds on Sunday morning – sounds incredible for big wave chargers, but for most, it’s a write-off. The swell is too massive.

We get another glimmer on Thursday morning, July 23rd. The swell is 13ft, but clean and cross-offshore. Not for everyone. The real saving grace, the absolute standout of the whole 16 days, is the afternoon of Thursday, July 23rd. The swell drops to 8.2ft from the SSW, 13-second period, clean with a SE breeze at 15 km/h. The energy is (3706). This is surfable, powerful, and clean. It’s the best of the late window.

Finally, Friday morning July 24th, the swell drops to 3.9ft with a very long 19-second period and offshore wind from the E. It’s clean, but with such a long period, it’ll be fat and slow on a reef – more of a longboard cruiser session. The energy is still decent (2104) for the size.

So here’s the bottom line: Don’t even think about paddling out until Wednesday July 15th morning. That’s your first real chance at a clean, manageable wave. The best on offer? Wednesday July 15th morning for the glassy 7.9ft, and Thursday afternoon July 23rd for the clean 8.2ft. If you’re an expert, the massive glassy days on Monday July 13th and Sunday July 19th will be calling, but for everyone else, stick to those two windows.

Stay safe out there.

Read more