Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you—this stretch for Lyall Bay is a real mixed bag, with a whole lot of mediocrity before we get a couple of genuine standouts. We’ve got nothing worth paddling out for until the morning of Sunday the 12th, so there’s a gap of about a day and a half from now.

The first real chance comes Sunday morning, July 12th. Swell’s small at 1.0 ft from the SSW, period hanging around 12 seconds, so it’s a groundswell but not all that powerful. The combined energy’s moderate (284). The real story here is the wind: light breeze from the NE, cross-off, so it’s clean. Expect some inconsistent sets, but it’s a beginner-friendly spot and the crowds are only sometimes. Water temp’s 54°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.

Sunday afternoon picks up a little—still 1.0 ft, but the wind shifts to a light offshore from the N, making it glassy. This is a nice session for a learner or someone wanting a cruisy paddle. Nothing special, but it’s surfable.

Monday the 13th through to Thursday the 16th are a write-off. Swell drops to 0.7 ft to 0.7 ft, and the wind cranks up hard from the NNW at 25 to 25 mph. Even though it’s offshore, it’s a fresh to strong breeze, making it hard to paddle into anything. Combined energy is weak (18 to 62). Don’t bother.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th get a bit more size—2 ft to 3 ft—but it’s onshore from the SSW and then S, blowing at 15 to 28 mph. Combined energy builds from 244 to 532, but it’s messy and poor. Not worth it.

Now, Sunday the 19th is interesting. We’ve got 8 ft swell from the SSE, but the period is short—only 7 to 8 seconds. That’s a short period wind swell, and combined energy is strong (675 to 656). The wind is cross-off and then offshore from the NNW. At 8 ft, this is pushing into expert territory. The short period means it’ll be a bit of a bumpy, close-out mess at a beach break, but if you’re a strong surfer looking for some power, it’s there. It’s marginal for tide, so check the banks.

The standout runs from Monday the 20th into Tuesday the 21st. Monday morning sees 4 ft from the S with a 12-second period—clean groundswell, moderate energy (867). Wind is light offshore from the N. Monday afternoon is glassy, with a 3 mph WSW wind, 4 ft, and period dropping to 11 seconds. Combined energy dips to 676 but still solid. This is the best clean, user-friendly swell of the whole run. Tuesday morning holds 3 ft from the SE, 8-second period, offshore N wind. It’s smaller and shorter, but still clean.

Then from Wednesday the 22nd to Thursday the 23rd morning, it’s a bit wonky with cross-on and onshore winds, but Thursday the 23rd afternoon is another standout. Swell hits 8 ft from the SSW, 8-second period—short period, so it’s a wind swell, but combined energy is very strong (1020). The wind is glassy, so it’s going to be clean. At 8 ft, that’s expert territory. The glassy conditions will make it look good, but the short period could make it closing out fast.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th see the swell jump to 13 ft and 15 ft from the S, with 10-second period. Combined energy is massive (3597 to 3750). Wind is offshore and cross-off, but the forecast says it’s too big for this break. This is for experts only—if you’re not one, stay out. Saturday the 25th afternoon drops to 8 ft with offshore wind, and that’s rated excellent for experienced surfers. Combined energy is still strong (1606). That’s a solid window for the confident crew.

Sunday the 26th calms down to 5 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is light cross-on, so it’s a bit messy.

Overall, don’t waste your time until Sunday the 12th. The two true standouts are Monday the 20th with 4 ft and glassy conditions for all levels, and Thursday the 23rd afternoon with 8 ft and glassy conditions for the experts. The long-range stuff on the 24th and 25th is massive but only for the brave.

Rusty.

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