Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Lyall Bay.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag ahead. The first decent window is on Sunday morning, 19 July. The water’s sitting at 53.4°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. There’s a solid 5.2ft SSW groundswell pushing in with a long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is a hefty 1385 (moderate wave energy). The wind is glassy out of the SE at just 3 mph, which means it’ll be clean as a whistle. This is a standout for experienced surfers – that long period will make for some proper shaped waves, but it might be a bit much for beginners at over 5ft. The swell is coming from the SSW, right on the money for this spot. Keep in mind, Lyall Bay is inconsistent, so when it’s on, it’s worth jumping on.

Monday morning, 20 July, still has some size at 5.9ft from the S with a 14-second period, but the wind has swung to a cross-onshore ESE at 6 mph, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. The combined energy jumps to 1894 (moderate wave energy), but the quality drops off. Monday afternoon gets even bigger at 7.9ft from the S with a 19-second period, and the energy goes through the roof at 4152 (strong wave energy), but that cross-onshore wind at 9 mph will make it choppy and messy. Only for the keen.

Tuesday morning, 21 July, looks promising with a clean 5.6ft S swell and a 14-second period, combined energy of 1112 (moderate wave energy). The wind is offshore out of the N at 16 mph, so the waves will be groomed and tidy. That offshore wind is a major positive. The swell is still over 5ft, so it’s not for novices, but for the experienced crew, this is a solid call.

After Tuesday, things drop away fast. Wednesday 22 July has a tiny 3.6ft S swell, and the wind is onshore, so it’s a write-off. There’s a long gap from Thursday 24 July through to Monday 27 July where the swell is either too small, too windy, or completely blown out. The wind howls from the NW and NNW, hitting 31 mph at one point, and the swell shrinks to 0.7ft on Friday 24 July. That period is a total bust.

Then on Monday 27 July, a massive 13.1ft SSW swell rolls in with a 10-second period, but the wind is a nasty cross-onshore SS at 22 mph, making it lumpy and dangerous. The energy is huge at 3221 (strong wave energy), but it’s not surfable for paddling – more of a kite-surfing show if anything.

Tuesday 28 July sees another big 9.8ft S swell with a 13-second period, and this time the wind is offshore from the N at 19 mph. The waves will be clean, but it’s over 8.2ft, so strictly for experts only. The combined energy is 2610 (strong wave energy). The same goes for Sunday 2 August and Monday 3 August, where the swell hits 13.1ft and 18ft respectively, with clean offshore winds – but these are massive, dangerous waves for paddle-in surfing. The energy on 2 August afternoon is an insane 16384 (very strong wave energy). That’s big, raw power.

The best overall bet? Sunday morning, 19 July at Lyall Bay. That 5.2ft SSW groundswell with glassy conditions and a long period is the standout session in the whole 16-day window. Tuesday morning, 21 July, is a close second with clean offshore winds and a solid 5.6ft swell. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big for comfort.

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