Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for us over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, so the outlook for Manly is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story, and not always a friendly one. The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to get a wet suit on is Friday the 17th. It’s small, with chest-high sets around 3 ft from the south, but the wind is a light cross-offshore. Combined energy is weak (113), so it’s not going to be a world-beater, but it’s clean and surfable for a beginner session. The afternoon drops off a bit.

Saturday the 18th is a write-off. The swell picks up a touch, but the cross-off wind is up to 12 mph and the conditions are just poor. Don’t bother.

Now, Sunday the 19th is where it gets interesting, but with a serious caveat. We’ve got a solid 7 ft east-northeast groundswell rolling in, with a long 11-second period. The combined energy is strong (1133). The problem is the cross-shore wind. It’s going to be lumpy and messy. This is a day for the experienced crew only, and even then, you’ll be working for it. The long period means it’ll be better if you can find a bank that holds, but it’s a beach break, so it might just close out.

Monday the 20th morning is the real standout. The swell drops to a very manageable 6 ft from the east-northeast, and the wind goes glassy from the west-northwest at just 3 mph. The combined energy is still solid (755). This is your session. Clean, offshore, and a decent size. It’s the best on offer, no question. The afternoon turns to crap with a strong onshore, so get it in the morning.

Tuesday the 21st is another promising morning. The swell is 5 ft from the east-northeast, and the wind is pure glass. Combined energy is moderate (496). It’s clean as a whistle. For a Tuesday morning, it could be a ripper. The afternoon again gets ruined by the onshore.

After that, the week from Wednesday the 22nd through to the 26th is a bit of a lull. Swell drops off, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, but the size is small. There are surfable waves, but nothing to get excited about. The energy is weak to moderate.

We then have a gap of a few days where it’s pretty ordinary until Wednesday the 29th. On the 29th, we get a big pulse of swell from the south, hitting 8 ft with a combined energy of 1649. That’s a lot of power. But the wind is a moderate cross-shore, and it’s going to be choppy. This is big, messy, and for experts only. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-off, but it’s still a powerful 7 ft.

The end of the run on the 31st of July and into the 1st of August sees a lot of wind, with a strong cross-on shore and a big 8 ft swell. That’s not a paddle session; honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The energy is massive (1260), but it’s blown out.

So, to wrap it up: the clear standout is Monday morning, the 20th of July. Get up early, it’ll be clean and fun. Tuesday morning the 21st is a close second, if you can sneak out. The rest is a mixed bag of size with wind issues, or clean but small. Keep an eye on the longer-range stuff for the 29th, but be prepared for a battle.

Rusty.

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