Manly-South Steyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one for Manly-South Steyne. The first week and a half is basically a write-off, and the real action doesn’t show up until late in the piece. Hang tight.

We start off with a couple of days of solid but messy swell. Wednesday morning the 15th has a 8ft S swell, but it’s getting hammered by a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore wind. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. The wave energy is strong (968), but the conditions are just poor. That trend continues through Thursday and Friday the 16th and 17th – the swell drops a bit but the wind stays messy, and you’ve got rain showers to deal with. Saturday the 18th drops right off, with a tiny 3ft E swell and weak energy (142). Sunday the 19th is even smaller, with a long-period 17-second S swell that’s only 1ft – not enough to do anything with.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From Monday the 20th of July right through to Saturday the 26th, it’s tiny. Swell heights barely scrape 2ft, and the energy is weak – mostly under 100. The wind is light and variable, sometimes cross-off, but there just isn’t any power in the water. The best you can say is Monday morning the 20th has a 2ft S swell with a 12-second period and light cross-off wind, making it surfable but very ordinary. Still, not really worth the paddle.

Now, the standout window finally arrives on Saturday the 26th of July. Sunday morning the 26th is the best of the lot. You’ve got a 7ft S swell pushing in, with a moderate 10-second period and a beautiful light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is strong (894), and the conditions are clean. This is when it’s on. It’s a reef break, so it can handle that S swell nicely, and the offshore wind will keep it glassy. It’s a serious wave at 7ft – definitely one for the experienced crew, beginners should sit this one out. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Monday the 27th is also promising. The morning brings a 6ft S swell, 12-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the WSW. The energy is still strong (905). The water temp is still around average, but the quality is there. Tuesday the 28th holds up with a 6ft S swell and cross-off winds, though the breeze picks up a bit to moderate. After that, the swell fades again through the 29th and 30th, dropping back to smaller, less exciting stuff.

So, to sum it up: the first nine days are a bust. The real action is on Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th of July. If you’re keen, those are the days to point the car towards Manly. Everything else is a gamble you’ll probably lose.

Rusty.

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