Merewether - Ladies Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Merewether - Ladies is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a run of ordinary to poor conditions sitting right in front of us, but there is a payoff later in the week if you’re patient. The region is exposed to an ESE optimum swell, and that’s exactly what we’ll see, but the wind and consistency are going to be the real story.

The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We start off with a bit of a dud on Saturday, July 18th. Morning has a clear sky, but a 12 mph SSE onshore breeze is blowing straight into the 4 ft swell coming from the ESE with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is a paltry 235, so it’s weak and messy. The afternoon is similar, just a touch bigger at 5 ft from the SE, but still onshore at 16 mph. It’s poor.

Sunday, July 19th, is no better. A 6 ft, 11-second E swell rolls in on the morning, with a SE wind at 12 mph. The energy jumps to 912, which is moderate, but the wind is ruining it. The afternoon cleans up a fraction with a lighter SE breeze, but the 6 ft swell is still onshore, and the conditions are only marginal. Don’t get excited.

Then, Monday, July 20th, is where things turn. The morning is a standout. We get a glassy 3 mph NNW offshore wind, and the 5 ft E swell has a solid 10-second period and moderate energy (580). The wave comment says expect very good surf conditions, and I’m all in on that. This is the best of the run. The afternoon shifts to a cross-onshore E breeze, so it’s back to poor, but the morning window is pure gold.

Tuesday, July 21st, keeps the hope alive. Morning has a clean 6 mph NNW offshore wind grooming a 4 ft, 10-second E swell. Energy is moderate at 309. It’s a good option, just smaller than Monday. The afternoon gets a cross-shore NE breeze, making it marginal.

Wednesday, July 22nd, is a drop-off. A 9 mph WNW offshore wind keeps the 2 ft ENE swell clean, but the energy is weak at 119. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon is a non-starter with onshore wind.

Thursday, July 23rd, is a write-off. A tiny 1 ft ENE swell and a 12 mph WSW cross-off wind make for poor surf. The afternoon brings a jump in size to 8 ft from the S, but with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind, it’s lumpy and messy. The energy is 957, but it’s useless for surfing.

Now, Friday, July 24th, is the second standout. The morning has a 7 ft S swell with a 10-second period, and a 9 mph WSW cross-off wind keeps it clean. The energy is 858 – strong. The wave comment says expect very good surf conditions, and this is a big, clean swell. The afternoon is even better: a glassy 3 mph E wind, with the swell easing to 6 ft but still clean. If you’re an intermediate, this is your day.

Saturday, July 25th, is still good but smaller. A 3 mph WNW offshore wind on a 4 ft S swell with a 9-second period, energy at 329. Clean and fun. The afternoon turns onshore, so it’s marginal.

Sunday, July 26th, offers a clean morning with a 6 mph NW offshore wind on a 5 ft S swell (9-sec period, 333 energy). Good conditions. The afternoon holds up with a cross-off NNW breeze.

From here, the second week goes downhill. Monday, July 27th, is marginal at best. Tuesday, July 28th, through to Friday, August 1st, is a long stretch of poor surf, with strong winds (19-22 mph), rain, and lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell sizes bounce around from 5 ft to 7 ft, but the wind is always wrong – onshore, cross-onshore, or just lumpy.

Saturday, August 1st, brings a bit of size back, with a 7 ft ESE swell in the morning and a 7 ft E swell in the afternoon, but the period is short (6-8 seconds) and the wind is light but cross-shore or cross-onshore. It’s only marginal.

Sunday, August 2nd, finishes with a 5 ft E swell and a light wind, but it’s cross-shore and marginal.

So, the best call is Monday, July 20th, for the glassy morning, and Friday, July 24th, for the big, clean S swell. We’ve got about a week of poor surf from July 28th onwards, with only marginal bits at the end. Stick to the first week, and you’ll score.

Rusty.

Read more