Manly Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Manly’s got cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off with a bit of a slow burner. The first few days have some solid swell in the water, but the winds are a bit of a mixed bag, so we’ve gotta pick our moments. The real standout of the whole forecast is a gem that’s a week and a half away, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

First up, Friday the 24th of July morning is looking alright. Manly’s a point break, sheltered from the SE, and we’ve got a solid 6ft swell rolling in from the S, with a period around 10 seconds. The wind is a clean offshore from the SW, so the surface will be nice and clean. The combined energy is moderate (553). The water temp is about average for this time of year. It’s good for a beginner-friendly session, but you’ll be sharing the peak – crowds are often a thing here.

Friday afternoon turns a bit tricky with an ESE cross-shore that messes up the face a little. Saturday morning the 25th is cleaner with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell drops a touch. The real action picks up again Sunday morning the 26th. We’ve got a similar 6ft S swell, 11-second period, with a clean WSW cross-offshore wind. The energy is solid (749). That’s your best bet for the first weekend.

Monday the 27th drops off in size, and by Tuesday the 28th, the swell fades to almost nothing. We’ve got a proper gap here. From Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday the 29th, there’s barely a ripple. The energy levels drop into the double digits (86, 77, 70, 53). That’s a real lull, and it’s pretty normal for the area when the window shuts.

Things start to perk back up on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning brings a 3ft S swell with a 13-second period – that long period groundswell will push some nice lines down the point. The wind is clean from the SSE, so it’s looking good. The energy is moderate (409). That carries through to Friday morning the 31st, with a 4ft S swell, 11 seconds, and light offshore winds. That’s a solid morning session.

Then we get another quiet spell over the first weekend of August. Saturday the 1st is small and ordinary, Sunday the 2nd is flat with a weak 3ft ENE wind swell and a short 6-second period. Monday the 3rd of August has a clean 5ft ENE swell in the morning, but it’s still short period. The wind is offshore though, so it’s clean.

Now, here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. Thursday the 6th of August morning. This is the standout. The swell is pumping at 8ft from the SSE, with an 8-second period. That’s a solid size, so it’s one for the experienced crew. But the real kicker? The wind is glass. Absolutely flat calm. The combined energy is strong (860). For a point break like Manly, that’s going to be a morning of pure, clean, powerful waves. It’s a full week and a half away, so the long-range forecast might shift, but as it stands, that’s the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, Friday the 7th gets messy with onshore winds, and Saturday the 8th of August shows a massive 13ft ENE swell (period 12 seconds) with a 4724 combined energy reading – that’s very strong. But it’s coming in with a cross-onshore wind, making it choppy and messy. That’s more of a big-wave kitesurfing day than a clean paddle session.

So, to wrap it up: the first weekend has some decent windows, but the absolute highlight is that glassy, 8ft session on Thursday the 6th of August. Keep an eye on the charts, but that’s the one.

Rusty.

Read more