Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Truth be told, the surf window is pretty narrow. There’s a tidy little run starting Thursday afternoon, but after that we’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing worth paddling out for until the tail end of the second week. The real standout window is Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. That’s where you want to be.

Thursday afternoon swings in a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds and a moderate wave energy (817). The wind is light offshore from the NNW, glassy conditions – that’s about as good as it gets for a quick session. Water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year, so nothing wild, just a touch on the comfortable side.

Friday morning picks up a bit more size, 5ft from the S, but here’s the kicker – the period jumps to 15 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell, and the combined energy rockets up to 1452. That’s a powerful, lined-up swell. The wind is a fresh NNW cross-offshore at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean but with some texture. This is a strong, punchy swell – over 5ft, so it’s not for the beginners, and with that long period, the sets will be spaced out, making it easier to get outside. Just be aware, Lyall Bay is a fairly exposed beach setup, so that long-period groundswell can sometimes make the waves break a bit too straight. Still, for the experienced crew, Friday morning is the pick of the whole forecast.

After that, it drops off quickly. Friday afternoon sees the wind pick up to 25 mph, and the surf quality goes south. From Saturday morning onward, the swell fades, and while there are a few small, clean windows with offshore winds, the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about – mostly under 3ft with energy readings under 300. By Sunday and Monday, it’s tiny and ordinary.

Then we hit a big gap. From about Tuesday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 21st of August, there’s nothing worth chasing. The swell drops to almost nothing, and when it does try to rebuild around the 18th and 19th, it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds from the S, making for messy, blown-out conditions. The swell might get up to 8ft, but with onshore winds at 28 mph, that’s a hard pass for paddle surfing – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.

The very end of the window, Friday the 21st of August, shows a tiny glimmer of hope with a 2ft S swell and light offshore winds, but it’s barely surfable.

So, to wrap it up: Thursday afternoon and Friday morning are the only real standouts. Get on it early, because after that, Lyall Bay goes quiet for a long stretch.

Rusty.

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