Narrow Neck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for our local waters.

It’s a pretty grim start, I gotta be honest. For the first week and a half, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing good. The wind is locked in from the south and southeast, hammering us with a strong cross-onshore breeze that’s just ruining any chance of clean waves. The swell is there, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a messy, short-period windswell that’s just all chop and no shape. The wave energy is weak to moderate for the first few days, but it’s all for nothing. This is a classic case of a beach/reef setup getting thrashed; to be honest, this would be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers.

The first real chance of a surfable wave doesn’t show up until Thursday, July 23rd. That’s a solid week of waiting. But man, it might just be worth it.

The Standout: Thursday, July 23rd – Morning Session

This is the only true highlight in the entire 16-day window. Narrow Neck is waking up to a glassy morning. The wind is dead calm, just a slight air, which means the surface will be clean as a whistle. The swell is a solid 7ft from the east, and it’s a proper groundswell with a period of 12 seconds. That’s a long-period swell, which means it’ll have real power and shape, especially for a reef. The combined energy is very strong. The water temp is about 70°, which is normal for this time of year.

This is for experienced surfers, though. At 7ft, it’s too big for beginners, and the long period will make it suck up and barrel on the reef. You’ll have long lulls between sets, making the paddle out easier, but when those sets come, they’ll be heavy. It’s a consistent spot, so there’ll be waves, but the crowd situation is listed as "sometimes" – so expect some company, but it won’t be a circus. This is the session to circle on the calendar.

After that, things get messy again. The wind swings back onshore, the swell drops, and we’re back to choppy, ordinary conditions for the rest of the week into the weekend. There’s a tiny glimmer on Monday, July 27th morning with another glassy period, but the swell is only 4ft with a 10-second period and weak energy. It’s surfable, but not a standout. By the end of the month, a light cross-offshore wind from the northwest appears, cleaning up the 3ft to 4ft east swell, but the energy is weak. It’ll be clean, small, and fun for a longboard if you’re desperate.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. The only real, proper surf window is the morning of the 23rd. Everything else is either blown out or too small. The forecast for that far out is promising but less certain, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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