Middleton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s going on.

First up, we’ve got a pretty lumpy run ahead, with only one proper stand-out session in the whole 16 days, so stay sharp. Middleton Beach is a very sheltered, beginner-friendly spot, but there’s plenty of swell around, the winds and conditions are gonna keep things messy most of the time. The water is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 64°, which is a nice little bonus for the winter.

The run kicks off Thursday morning, 23 July. That morning session is the clear winner: you’ve got a solid 10ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 14-second period, so you’re looking at proper energy and clean lines. The combined energy is pumped right up at 3078, that’s strong stuff. Wind is a light 6 mph from the NNW, cross-off, keeping the faces clean. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions” and the difficulty is beginner, so this is the one to aim for. Thursday afternoon goes onshore and messy, so forget that.

Friday the 24th has drops to 6ft in the morning, still a clean cross-off, but the energy drops to 929, moderate now. It’s surfable but nothing special. Friday afternoon is ordinary.

Saturday the 25th stays small, around 5ft, with cross-off winds but only moderate energy in the 800-950 range. Marginal conditions all day.

Then things get wild. Sunday the 26th morning hits with a 10ft WSW windswell but the period is short at 9 seconds and the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-off – it’s messy and the wave comment says poor. Sunday afternoon kicks up to 16ft SW, with combined energy through the roof at 8325, but it’s a fresh 19 mph cross-off and the setup is described as marginal. At that size, with a beach break setup, this is really only for experts and honestly, the conditions look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday 27th still has 12ft SSW swell in the morning with a 13-second period and gentle cross-off wind, but the wave comment is marginal. Monday afternoon goes cross-shore and choppy.

From Tuesday 28th through to early August, it’s a mix of big swell (8ft to 16ft) but almost always with onshore or cross-onshore winds, often fresh to strong, making the surf poor to marginal. The combined energy stays very strong, often in the 3000-8000 range, but the quality just isn’t there for a good paddle session.

Now, there is a later standout. Friday the 31st of July afternoon session looks excellent for experienced surfers. You’ve got an 12ft SSW groundswell with a 17-second period – that is very long period, proper groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 6777. Wind is light WSW at 6 mph, cross-off, so clean. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The only catch is that with that very long period, at a beach break, the waves might break a bit straight, but the quality and power will be there. If you’re an experienced surfer, that’s your window.

After that, from 1 August onwards, the onshore winds take over completely – strong ESE and SE – and the surf is poor to marginal for the rest of the run, with big swell but no clean conditions.

So overall, there’s a couple of true standouts: Thursday morning 23 July for the beginners and the Friday afternoon 31 July for the experienced crew. The rest of the 16-day window is full of big, messy surf. The gap between standouts is about a week of average to poor conditions, so don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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