Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Lyall Bay.

It’s a bit of a mixed bag across the next sixteen days, and we’ve got a long stretch of nothing special to get through first. The real standout is a huge, powerful swell coming in the second week, but it's not for the faint-hearted.

The first real chance we get is this Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. It’s not huge, but boy, it’s clean. We’re looking at a 4ft swell from the ESE with a solid 12-second period, and the wind is a light 6 mph offshore from the north. The water is sitting at 55°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. The energy is moderate (561), and it should be a fun session for the beginner-to-intermediate crowd. Lyall Bay can get busy, so expect some company. Tuesday afternoon holds similar with a 4ft ESE swell, but the wind swings to a light cross-off, so it stays clean.

Wednesday the 29th starts with a drop in swell to 3ft, and even though it’s offshore, that wind is howling at 22 mph. It’s hard work to paddle into. By Wednesday afternoon, the wind cranks up to 28 mph, and the swell drops further. The rest of that week into the weekend is a write-off. From Thursday the 30th right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell is tiny, the wind is onshore or howling offshore making it impossible to paddle into. A real blank run.

Now, Monday the 3rd of August offers a glimmer. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SSE, with a 25 mph offshore wind. It’s clean, but that strong breeze makes it a real battle. The energy is moderate (780). If you’re strong and keen, you could get some, but it’s a work-out.

Then things get wild. On Thursday the 6th of August, a massive S swell rolls in at 18ft with a 14-second period. The combined energy is a staggering 10,318 to 10,666. That is a proper, powerful groundswell. The wind is light and cross-off, so the conditions would be perfect. But here’s the thing – 18ft is way too big for Lyall Bay. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s a dangerous proposition. The break is a beach setup, so this long-period swell might just close out and be a washing machine. Honestly, this looks more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone on a paddle board.

That huge swell hangs around, but the wind goes straight onshore and gale-force from Friday the 7th onwards, blowing everything out. The swell stays big (8ft to 16ft) right through until the 10th of August, but it’s all onshore wind and rain. The last few days of the forecast, the 11th and 12th, see the swell drop back down to 3ft to 4ft, but the wind is onshore, leaving it small and choppy.

So, the best on offer? Your clear winner is Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. That 4ft ESE groundswell with clean, light offshore wind is the only truly inviting day in the whole window. The other potential standout is the massive swell on Thursday the 6th of August, but I’d only recommend that to the most experienced chargers who know what they’re getting into. For everyone else, it’s a watch-and-wonder day.

Rusty.

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