Mount Cameron Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about Mount Cameron.

We're looking at a classic case of "too much of a good thing" to start, followed by a seriously unreal window for the crew who can handle it. The whole run kicks off on Tuesday, 21 July, with a massive pulse of 10-foot groundswell from the WSW. The energy is pumping at 3000, but that north-northwest wind is putting a cross-chop on it, and the conditions are a bit messy. It stays big through Wednesday and Thursday, with the swell actually building to a monstrous 16 feet by Thursday afternoon, 23 July. The wind is howling onshore and the combined energy is hitting 10620 – that's serious power. Forget about a paddle-out; it's blown out and dangerous. Friday morning, 24 July, the swell tops out at 20 feet from the SW with a 15-second period and combined energy of 15198, and the data says it's just too big for this break. The wind is onshore, so it's a total write-off for standard surfing. Honestly, this whole stretch from Tuesday through to the end of the month is a kite-surfer's dream, not a paddle surfer's.

We hit a rough patch right through the end of July. The swell stays massive, with onshore winds making a mess of things. Sunday, 26 July, sees a drop in size to 8 feet, but that WSW wind is still on it, making it choppy and poor. Monday, 27 July, is a bit of a tease – a 15-foot WSW swell with 13-second period and energy of 12212, but the wind's onshore and it's just not clean.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. The real standouts are the last three days of July and the first day of August. Tuesday, 28 July, the swell is still huge at 18 feet from the SW with a 16-second period, but the wind is swinging cross-shore from the NW. That's a massive improvement, but the forecast notes it's still too big for this break. Wednesday, 29 July, is the same story – 18-foot SW swell, 17-second period, and a clean cross-offshore wind from the north. The energy is at 17478. It's still enormous, but it's clean. Thursday, 30 July, is the day. The swell drops to a still-serious 15 feet from the SW with a 15-second period, and we get a gentle offshore breeze from the east. The combined energy is 9876. The data calls it "exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers" – and that's exactly what it is. This is a true standout for the best-in-slot conditions. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

That window continues. Friday, 31 July, is another gem: 15-foot SW swell, 14-second period, and glassy conditions with a slight air from the north-northeast. The energy is 7655, and it's clean. Saturday, 1 August, the swell drops to 10 feet from the SW with a 13-second period, and the wind is offshore from the NE. It's still clean, but the energy is dropping to 3313 and the forecast says it's a bit more marginal. After that, we fade out. Sunday, 2 August, sees 7-foot SW swell with a strong cross-offshore wind, but it's getting lumpy. Then Monday, 3 August, we get a near-gale from the WSW smashing a 4-foot swell into oblivion, and the rest of the week is just poor, with onshore winds and building swell again.

So, the bottom line: the surf is pretty much unsurfable for the first week and a half unless you're a lunatic on a big wave gun. But the window from Thursday, 30 July through Saturday, 1 August is absolutely world-class for the experts. The break is inconsistent, so you need to pick your moment, but when it's on, it's *on*. The best of the best is Thursday, 30 July and Friday, 31 July.

Rusty.

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