Southport Main Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Southport Main Beach.

Truth be told, the next week and a half is pretty grim. We’ve got a solid stretch of poor surf from now through to around the 20th of July, with very little worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off – Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are a mess of cross-shore winds and chop, with the swell all over the place. The combined energy is weak to moderate at best, topping out at 1083 for Friday morning, but the wind just ruins it.

Saturday the 11th morning is the only real glimmer in the near term. The wind goes glassy, with a light WNW offshore, and the swell drops to 3ft from the SE at 10 seconds. The combined energy is only 234 – weak – but it’ll be clean and small. A longboard or a funboard might get a few if you’re desperate. That afternoon the wind swings cross and the period lengthens to 12 seconds, giving a bit more push (619 energy), but it’s still only 4ft. It’s marginal.

Sunday the 12th has offshore wind all day, WNW at 12 mph, but the swell is tiny – 3ft morning and 2ft afternoon. The energy is feeble (181 and 127). It’s clean but barely surfable.

Then we hit a proper dead zone. From Monday the 13th through to Tuesday the 21st of July, the swell drops to almost nothing. We’re talking 1ft, 1ft, 0.7ft – the combined energy sits below 100 for most of it, and often below 50. The water’s about average for the time of year at 71°, nothing unusual. There’s a day of strong, messy wind on the 17th and 18th with a 5ft SE swell, but it’s cross-shore and blown out – it’s really more of a kite-surfing setup than a surf one. Don’t bother.

Now, the standout. If you can wait, Wednesday the 22nd of July afternoon starts to change. The wind goes offshore from the W at 16 mph, the swell builds to 5ft from the SSE at 10 seconds, and the energy jumps to 491. It’s the first genuinely good-looking window.

Then Thursday the 23rd of July morning really delivers. We’ve got a 10ft SE swell at 10 seconds, with a fresh offshore from the W at 19 mph. The energy is 2661 – strong. That’s a big, powerful wave for a beach break. It’s going to be too much for beginners, and even intermediates will need to be on their game. The period is only 10 seconds, so it’s not a classic groundswell, but the size and wind combo will make for some heavy, hollow waves. The afternoon stays big at 8ft, with a cross-offshore wind.

But the absolute best is Friday the 24th of July morning. The swell holds at 8ft from the ESE at 11 seconds, the wind goes glassy, and the energy is 1429. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The longer period will give the waves more shape and power, and with the wind dead calm, it’ll be pure. The break (Southport Main Beach) is exposed to the ESE, which is the optimum direction, and it’s a very consistent spot. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so on a day like that, expect company. This is the one to circle on the calendar – it’s the best on offer by a long shot. The afternoon of the 24th will still be good at 8ft, but the wind goes light cross-shore.

Rusty

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