Manly-North Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into the outlook for Manly-North Steyne.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is about 1°F cooler than average for this time of year. Nothing wild, just a bit of a nip in the air.

We’ve got a bit of a wait for anything decent. The first few days are a write-off, honestly. Saturday the 18th is a mess with cross-shore winds and weak, short-period swell – not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 19th sees a jump in energy, with a 7ft swell from the ENE, but it's a cross-onshore breeze making it choppy. The energy is solid though, with a reading of 1103, so there's power in the water, but it's not clean.

Monday the 20th morning is where it starts to look up. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell from the ENE with a light WNW cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is still strong at 701, and the period is a solid 11 seconds, so there's some decent shape. The winds are light, making for a clean session. The swell direction isn't the optimum NE, but it’s still a good-looking morning. The afternoon gets messy with onshore wind, so get in early.

Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are small and marginal. Wave heights drop to 5ft and then 3ft, with energy fading. The highlight on Wednesday afternoon is a glassy 3ft wave, but it’s just too small to get excited about.

From Thursday the 23rd right through to Friday the 31st of July, we’re looking at a flat spell. The swell drops to nothing, with energy readings barely hitting double digits. It’s a long, dry run of tiny surf, blown out or just plain flat.

Now, the real standout is way out there, on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning shows a 6ft swell from the ESE but with a short period of 5 seconds and a reading of 231, so it’s a bit of a messy windswell. The afternoon, however, is a different beast. The forecast is for a 10ft swell from the E, with an energy reading of 1074. That’s a lot of juice. But here’s the catch: at 10ft, this is getting too big for most, and it’s a beach break, so that long-period (8 seconds) groundswell might be breaking a bit too straight. The wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean, but this is strictly for the experts. The wave comment says it’s too big for this break, so be careful.

The following Sunday, the 2nd of August, is the pick of the whole run. Morning session is a 8ft swell from the E, with a 10-second period and a superb 1026 energy reading. The wind is light offshore from the W, making for clean, powerful waves. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The swell is well over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, but for those who can handle it, it’s the best on offer. The afternoon sees the wind turn onshore, so the window is tight.

So, to sum it up: the next week is a bust. The real action is at the very end of the forecast, with Sunday the 2nd of August looking like the absolute standout. It’s a long way off, so the forecast could change, but if it holds, that’s your day.

Rusty.

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