Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here with a look at Lyall Bay. It’s a story of two weeks: a sweet, clean window right in the middle, bookended by wind and big, ugly swells.

The first few days are a bust. Wednesday (29th July) morning is your only early sniff, with a 3ft groundswell from the ESE with a 13-second period. The wind is a fresh offshore from the N at 19 mph, so it’ll be clean, but the combined swell energy is weak (290). It’s on the fence. After that, through the end of July, it’s strong cross-offshore winds and dropping swell, down to a miserable 1ft by Friday.

Then, a massive storm swell hits. On Saturday, 1st August, a 15ft to 16ft SSW swell rolls in, but it’s hammered by a strong onshore wind from the S at 28 mph. The combined energy is insane (4560 to 5116), but it’s a total mess with rain. That’s strictly for the crazy experts. That kind of size and wind is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Here’s the good bit. Sunday, 2nd August morning is your standout. The swell drops to a clean 8ft from the S, 11-second period, with a light WNW cross-offshore wind at 6 mph. The combined energy is a strong (1747), and it’ll be glassy. Excellent for experienced surfers – a touch big for beginners, but for everyone else, this is the pick of the trip. Water temp is about 55°F, which is normal for the time of year.

Monday, 3rd August, keeps the quality up. A 7ft S swell with a clean offshore wind from the N at 12 mph, moderate energy (1191). By Monday afternoon, it builds to 11ft with a 12-second period, and the wind goes to a gentle offshore from the NNW at 9 mph. That’s a heavy, powerful swell with very high energy (3877). It might be too big for the bay, but it’s a stunning looking forecast for the experienced crew.

From Tuesday, 4th August, it’s back to poor conditions. A 16ft S swell with onshore wind blows it out, and the pattern stays rough. There’s a small window on Thursday, 6th August, with a 7ft SSE swell and offshore winds from the NNE at 12 mph, giving clean conditions (1186 energy), but the tide is questionable. After that, from Friday, 7th August through the 13th, it’s a long run of onshore wind, rain, gale-force gusts, and tiny, weak swell – the energy drops to as low as (19). A flat spell like this is pretty normal for the area in winter.

The standout is Sunday, 2nd August morning – clean, solid S swell, light wind. That’s your moment. Monday 3rd is also excellent if you can handle the size. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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