Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards.

Honestly, mate, it’s a pretty bleak run for Mainside. We’ve got a massive gap with nothing worth paddling out for, and the few moments that do show some swell are either tiny, messy, or blown out. The water’s sitting at 82°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it.

The first real chance to even look at the ocean is Tuesday morning, July 7th. We’ve got tiny 2 ft of swell coming from the west with a 7-second period—weak and gutless. The wind goes glassy though, so if you’re desperate for a float and a tan, it’ll be clean. But the wave comment says poor surf conditions, and I’m not going to argue. The combined energy is just 26 (weak). Not a highlight.

Then it’s dead quiet for days. Nothing on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday—just strong offshore winds that make paddling out a battle. Sunday July 12th afternoon we finally see something: 0.7 ft from the east, 10-second period, combined energy of 8 (very weak). Clean cross-off wind, but that’s barely a ripple.

Monday July 13th is similar—0.7 ft from the west, 10-second period, clean offshore wind but again, combined energy only 7 to 8. Not surfable.

After another dry stretch, Thursday July 16th afternoon finally throws up some size: 8 ft from the east, 11-second period, and a combined energy of 1606 (strong wave energy). That’s a proper groundswell. Problem is it’s rated marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions, and the wind is cross-off. For a reef break like Mainside, that size and period could be heavy—this is for experts only. The swell direction is east, which isn’t the optimum north for this spot, so it might be a bit awkward. If you’re a seasoned local and the tide lines up, this could be the only window. But I’d be cautious.

Then Friday July 18th afternoon gives us 5 ft from the east, 8-second period, combined energy 273 (moderate wave energy). Clean offshore wind and the comment says expect good surf conditions—first positive note. It’s still a short-period swell, so not the best shape, and it’s not huge, but after all this nothing, it’s the closest thing to a surf. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so you might have company.

That’s it for the entire 16 days. One real standout is July 16th afternoon for big, heavy, expert-only surf if the tide plays ball. The smaller but cleaner option is July 18th afternoon for a more manageable wave. The rest is a long, flat, or blown-out stretch.

Rusty.

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