Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Right now, things are flat and ordinary for Manly. The first proper surf window kicks off on Wednesday the 22nd with clean but unremarkable chest-high waves. The ENE swell is weak and the energy is moderate at best (298). Wind is light and cross-off, so it’s not terrible, but there’s nothing to get excited about. It’s one of those mornings where you go for a paddle, not a session.

That Wednesday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, flat calm, and the swell drops a little. The combined energy is still weak (251). It’s clean, but the waves are ordinary. If you’re a beginner, this is your window. For anyone else, it’s a rest day.

Thursday the 23rd – forget it. The morning is clean but the swell is weak and small, combined energy is only 130, and the wind goes moderate cross-off. The afternoon brings a strong offshore wind from the SW at 19 mph, but the wave height is only 3 ft. It’s not worth suiting up.

Then we get to Friday the 24th. This is the standout. Early morning, the S swell jumps to 8 ft, and the combined energy is strong (1763). The wind is a gentle offshore from the SW, keeping the faces clean. This is a proper groundswell with a period of 10 seconds, so it’s got some power. At this size, Manly will be a handful for beginners – it’s more for the experienced crew. The direction is S, which is not the optimum SE for this sheltered point, so it won’t be perfect, but it’ll be the best surf of the whole week. The afternoon stays solid at 7 ft, but the wind swings cross-on and the tide might mess with the shape. The morning is the call.

Saturday morning the 25th drops to 6 ft, cleaner under a moderate cross-off wind, but the energy is moderate (739). It’s fine, but not special. The afternoon goes offshore and clean, but the swell is down to 4 ft and the energy is light (365). Sunday the 26th morning is similar – 6 ft, clean, gentle offshore, moderate energy (607). It’s a good weekend session, but nothing like Friday.

After Sunday, the surf drops off hard. Monday the 27th is small and weak, and Tuesday the 28th is flat with combined energy down to 29. There’s a gap of a few days with no real surf. Wednesday the 29th sees a little bump from the SSW, but it’s rain showers and the wind is onshore in the afternoon for a messy 6 ft. Not recommended.

Thursday the 30th is a write-off – big 10 ft swell but with onshore wind and storms. That’s kite territory, not paddle. The energy is very strong (2502), but the conditions are poor.

Friday the 31st looks better – a clean 5 ft S swell with a moderate offshore wind, and the energy is moderate (476). It’s a good morning session, but far from the quality of the previous Friday.

After that, into August, the surf drops again. Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd are small and weak. The entire first week of August looks poor, with onshore winds and messy conditions. The only glimmer is Wednesday the 5th afternoon, when it goes glassy and the swell is 5 ft, but the energy is weak (377) and the period is short (7 seconds). It’s ordinary.

So the bottom line: Friday the 24th morning is the day to circle. Get there early, watch the tide, and enjoy the best swell of the forecast. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy.

Rusty

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