Mainside Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Mainside over the next couple weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak run. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and a lot of onshore or cross-off wind that’s just not doing us any favours. The first recommendation doesn’t pop up until late in the period, so there’s a big gap of flat or near-flat, messy conditions to sit through.

Right now, through mid-July and all the way to the 26th, it’s a tough watch. We’re looking at swell heights mostly around 0.7ft to 2ft, with short, weak periods of 4–10 seconds and combined energy barely cracking two digits (mostly between 7 and 134, which is weak to moderate at best). Winds are cross-on or cross for the most part, with a few cleaner moments but nothing worth paddling out for. The brief glassy spell on the morning of the 22nd (Wednesday) has only a 0.7ft, 11-second easterly swell – it’s clean, but there’s just no push. Not worth getting wet for.

Now, things start to get interesting around the 27th of July. That Monday morning, we finally see a pulse. A 16-second, very long period easterly groundswell pushes in at 2ft, with combined energy climbing to 118 (moderate). Winds are offshore from the ENE, keeping it clean. This is a proper long-period groundswell, so Mainside (a reef setup) should handle it well – those long gaps between sets will make paddling out easier, and the shape should be better than any of the junk we’ve seen. The catch? At only 2ft, it’s tiny, so you’ll need a bigger board and low expectations. Still, this is the best on offer. The afternoon gets stronger in energy (170) but the wind turns cross and picks up, so that morning window is the one.

Then the 28th (Tuesday) and 29th (Wednesday) see the swell building. Tuesday morning has 3ft of 16-second easterly energy at 310 (strong combined energy), but a fresh northerly cross-wind at 22 mph will make it lumpy – only for the keen and experienced. Wednesday the 29th is a weird one: we get a massive spike in energy with 839 and 935 (very strong), from a 17-second easterly groundswell at 4ft to 4ft. But the wind? We’re talking hurricane-force and severe gale from the SSE, with moderate rain. The waves are clean offshore but the wind speeds of 78 mph and 47 mph are absolutely not for surfing – this is kite territory or a total stay-home day. For experts only if they’re mental enough.

So, the standout is the morning of the 27th of July (Monday) – a clean, long-period, 2ft easterly groundswell with light offshore winds. It’s tiny, but it’s the cleanest, most promising window in a sea of poor surf. After that, the big energy on the 29th is too dangerous to recommend for paddle surfing.

There’s a massive gap from now until the 27th with no real surf. That’s nearly two weeks of waiting. But hey, this area can turn around quick – forecasts change.

Rusty, signing off.

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