Narrabeen-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a quiet spell ahead at Narrabeen-South, then a solid pulse of south swell that’ll get the blood pumping for a few days. Let’s start with the water: sitting at 65°, bang on average for the time of year, so no need to worry about a wetsuit change.

First up, don’t bother paddling out Tuesday the 28th or Wednesday the 29th of July. It’s flat, with a tiny 0.7ft of weak S swell and poor conditions. The wait runs through Thursday morning the 30th when things wake up. That morning, we get a clean 6ft south swell with a 10-second period and a gentle offshore wind from the WSW. The combined swell energy is moderate (772). It’s a solid, clean option for the advanced crew – the south swell lines up nicely with the optimum SE direction for this exposed spot, and the offshore wind will have the waves looking tidy. Thursday afternoon drops off a bit, so aim for the morning.

The standout of the whole run is Friday the 31st of July. Early morning delivers a cracking 7ft south swell, period 10 seconds, and a clean offshore from the SW. The combined energy jumps to strong (1780). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – the swell is over 8ft, so it’s experts only, but the wind is offshore, the waves will have shape, and the consistency is very consistent. This break is a reef-and-beach setup, so with that bigger south swell, expect some proper lines. Crowds are often around here, so you’ll have company, but it’ll be worth it for the best session on offer.

Saturday morning the 1st of August drops back to a more manageable 5ft south swell with a light offshore – still good, clean fun for those who aren’t after the big stuff. Sunday the 2nd of August morning picks up again with a 6ft south-southeast swell, but it’s a long-period groundswell at 13 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore. The combined energy is strong (1097), but the long period can make the waves break a bit straight at the beach – still, Sunday afternoon looks cleaner with a 5ft swell and light offshore wind, giving very good conditions.

Monday the 3rd of August gets messy with a strong 35 km/h SSW wind, and the swell is all over the place. The bigger stuff hits from Tuesday the 4th through Wednesday the 5th, with a solid 10ft south swell, but the notes say it’s too big for this break – combined energy is very strong (over 1600). That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle. Thursday the 6th of August morning drops to 8ft southeast swell, still big, but with a gentle breeze and clean conditions, it’s another excellent window for experts.

After that, from Friday the 7th of August, the swell fades and the winds turn sketchy – cross-onshore and onshore by the weekend. The last decent look is Thursday the 6th morning. The second week sees smaller, wind-affected ENE swell, mostly marginal or poor. Not worth chasing hard.

Best bet: Friday the 31st of July morning at Narrabeen-South. Clean, solid, and all yours if you’re ready for it.

Rusty

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