Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming down the line for Mainside. The overall picture is pretty grim for a long stretch, so don’t get your hopes up too early.

The forecast kicks off on Wednesday the 8th of July, but it’s a total non-starter. Tiny 1ft swell from the WNW with a weak period of 6 seconds, and the combined energy is only 12 – that’s barely a ripple. The wind is cross-off, but with surf that small, it’s just a flat, clean lake. This poor excuse for surf carries on right through the rest of the week and into the weekend. There’s a big chunk of nothing from Thursday the 9th all the way through to Monday the 13th, with zero swell showing up. The wind gets nasty, too – we’re looking at near gale to severe gale force offshore winds from the 10th to the 11th, which would be ridiculous to even think about paddling into. The water temp is sitting at 83°, which is about normal for the time of year, not that it matters with no waves.

Things finally try to wake up on Thursday the 16th of July. The morning shows a 4ft swell from the east at 10 seconds, with combined energy climbing to a moderate 290. The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, keeping it clean. The break at Mainside is a reef setup and exposed to northerly swells, so this east swell isn’t hitting it perfectly, but it might offer a few okay ones. Still, it’s marginal, and the score reflects that. The afternoon drops off into a shorter period swell and weaker energy.

Friday the 17th of July morning is small again – 3ft from the ENE – but the wind goes light at 6 mph, cross-off, keeping it glassy. It’s surfable but very ordinary. The afternoon pulls in a 3ft swell from the north with a short 6-second period, but the wind turns offshore from the ESE at just 3 mph. This north swell is right in the optimum direction for Mainside, which is a positive, but the period is so short the waves will lack punch. The combined energy is a weak 112.

After that, we slip back into another quiet run from the 18th onward. There are small bits of swell here and there, but nothing that really breaks the 3ft mark with any quality. Even later in the forecast around the 22nd of July, we see a 2ft east swell with a decent 12-second period giving a combined energy of 177 (moderate), but it’s still just surfable, not exciting.

To be honest, the only standout in this whole 16-day stretch is Thursday morning the 16th of July. The 4ft east swell with a 10-second period offers the most size and push, and the conditions will be clean with that cross-off breeze. It’s not pumping, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. Mainside is a consistent reef break, but it might be worth checking if the banks are holding. Don’t expect much else.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more