Little Joes/Between the Jetties Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight up about what we've got lined up. Honestly, it's a bleak stretch for Little Joes/Between the Jetties. The entire 16-day window is looking pretty grim, with no standout sessions on offer. The water is sitting at 52°, which is 5° colder than normal for this time of year – that's a pretty notable chill, so a good 5/4 wetsuit and booties are non-negotiable if you're even thinking about paddling out.

Looking at the pattern, from now through the first week and into the second, we're dealing with a constant cross to cross-onshore wind, mostly out of the NNW. The swell is there, but it’s small and messy. The combined wave energy is moderate, fluctuating from 328 up to 839, but the conditions just never line up. It's all "poor surf conditions" due to the wind. For the first week, from Tuesday 7th July through to Monday 13th July, we see tiny swell heights from 2ft to 5ft, but the period is all over the place – some long-period 18-20 second SW groundswell gets chopped up by the wind. The energy is moderate, but it's so lumpy and choppy that it's a washout.

Into the second week, from 14th July onward, it's more of the same. The swell builds a bit, with heights between 4ft and 6ft from the NW, but the wind stays a problem. The period drops to a short, weak 8 seconds on the bigger days, giving it a messy cross-chop. By Saturday 18th July afternoon, we see a jump to 6ft with a strong breeze, which is getting too big for beginners and looks more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session out the back. The day after, Sunday 19th July, keeps that 5ft to 6ft range, but it's still cross-onshore and choppy. Even the bigger energy on the 18th (combined energy of 1002) can't save it.

There are no true standouts here. The consistent onshore wind kills any chance of clean surf. You’d be fighting the chop for a gutless wave. The best you could hope for is a choppy, blown-out 2ft ride, and that’s just not worth the effort. We've got a blank run of over two weeks with nothing to recommend. It’s a proper drought. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change, but right now it’s a hard no.

- Rusty

Read more