Minutes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell ya what's cookin' over the next couple of weeks.

It's gonna be a bit of a slow start here, but we've got some real gems hiding further down the track. The first few days are pretty ordinary, but hang tight, because the second week is where the magic could happen.

We kick off on Thursday, July 30th, with a bit of a dud. Light rain and a 4ft easterly windswell, but it's messy with a 30 km/h easterly breeze putting a chop on everything. The combined energy is weak, just 220. Not worth paddling out for.

Come Friday, July 31st, things start to look up. The swell drops a touch but swings around to the south. We're looking at a 5ft south swell, period of 9 seconds, and the wind goes glassy, dead calm. The water is about average for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate (339). This is the first real window of clean surf. The standout here is Minutes (reef and point). It's a fairly consistent spot that's exposed to the ESE, and we've got a 5ft S swell with glassy conditions. This is your best bet for the first week.

Saturday morning, August 1st, is also looking clean with a 5ft S swell and a light WNW cross-offshore breeze. The energy is still moderate (344). It'll be a fun morning. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore wind, and Sunday, August 2nd, goes downhill with a smaller 4ft SSW swell and a stronger cross-onshore breeze.

We then hit a long, flat spell. From Sunday afternoon, August 2nd, right through to the morning of Sunday, August 9th, the surf is just poor. We're talking tiny, weak waves (1.0ft to 3ft) with onshore winds and low energy. The combined energy values are in the double digits or low triple digits, mostly under 100. It's a real drought. There's a slight tease on the morning of Sunday, August 9th, with a 3ft SSW swell and a clean cross-offshore breeze, but the energy is still low (132) and it's not enough to get excited about.

Now, here's the real deal. The morning of Monday, August 10th, is a standout. We get a 3ft SSW groundswell with a long period of 11 seconds. The wind is glassy, and combined energy is a solid 273. This is a proper, clean swell. The long period will make it punchy for its size, best on the reef and point at Minutes, where the optimum swell direction is ESE. This is a promising one.

But the absolute best on offer is Wednesday morning, August 12th. Glassy conditions, a 4ft SSW groundswell with a period of 12 seconds, and combined energy climbing to 471. This is the pick of the bunch. It's a gorgeous, clean, moderate groundswell. The only thing to watch is that with a long period swell (12 seconds), it might break a bit straight at the beach, but on the reef and point at Minutes, it should be excellent. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

The 13th of August (Thursday) brings a big jump in size. We're looking at a 7ft to 8ft SSW swell with a very long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is massive, hitting 1882 and 2374. This is expert territory. It's too big for beginners, and with a light cross-onshore breeze, it might be a bit lumpy. For the experienced crew, this is a serious session, but it's not for the faint-hearted.

The 14th of August (Friday) is still big, with a 8ft S swell at 12 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore. More size for the experts, but far from perfect.

Overall, the first week is a write-off, but the second week, especially the 10th and 12th of August, has some proper, clean, long-period groundswell on the cards. The 12th is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty

Read more