Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for Manly over the next couple of weeks. There’s some decent swell on the way, but a lot of it is going to be let down by the wind. The standout will be the first session, then a long quiet spell, before a few more hopeful windows pop up in the second week.

We kick off on Friday, the 10th of July, with the best surf of the whole period. Manly’s a point break, sheltered from the SE, and the swell is coming right from that direction at 6 feet, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined wave energy is solid at 573 (moderate). The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is about normal for the time of year. The wind is a light SW at 3 mph, pushing the surface to glassy. You’ll have clean, lined-up waves. Beginners will be fine at this size, but it’s still a good wave for everyone. Just be aware this spot can get crowded fairly often.

Friday afternoon holds similar conditions, still glassy, with the swell dropping slightly to 5 feet. It’s still a good time to be out.

Then we hit a long dry patch. From Saturday morning, the 11th, right through to the end of Tuesday, the 14th, the swell drops away to nothing useful – 3 feet down to 0.7 feet, with poor surf conditions all the way. The combined energy plummets to as low as 21 (weak). Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday, the 15th, sees a jump in size with a south swell at 6 feet, but the wind is a cross-offshore breeze at 16 mph, and the wave energy is 1057 (strong). The problem is the conditions are marginal, and the swell is too big for beginners at this point. The period is short at 9 seconds, so the waves will be a bit lumpy. It’s a big, messy day – more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfing.

Thursday, the 16th, gets a bit better. The morning has a 5 foot south swell with a gentle offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph, making for clean waves. The combined energy is 494 (moderate). The period is 10 seconds, so there’s some shape. This is a solid option for experienced surfers, but it’s still a bit big for beginners.

The following days, from the 17th to the 19th, are mostly weak small swells and onshore winds, so nothing to get excited about. The 20th and 21st are similar – small, messy, and not worth the drive.

The final standout window is on Saturday, the 18th, in the morning. Manly picks up a 5 foot easterly swell with a period of 10 seconds, combined energy of 447 (moderate), and light offshore cross-off wind from the west at 6 mph. The waves will be clean and should offer some fun, lined-up sections. It’s a solid option for a late-winter paddle.

After that, the last few days of the forecast window are small and mostly cross-off or onshore, with nothing that really stands out. Some surfable waves on the 22nd and 23rd, but nothing to change your plans for.

So, overall – Friday the 10th is the absolute pick of the bunch. After that, Thursday the 16th morning and Saturday the 18th morning are your next best bets. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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