New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at the surf over the next couple of weeks for New Brighton Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems hiding in there.

First up, the water is sitting at 49°F right now, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook starts off pretty ordinary. Saturday the 25th of July is a write-off with tiny, weak swell and rain. Not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 26th is a little better – we’re looking at a clean 2ft easterly groundswell with a long period of 15 seconds, and a light offshore breeze in the morning. The energy is moderate (207), so there’s a bit of life in the water, but it’s still on the small side for a proper session.

Monday the 27th brings a cleaner picture. The swell bumps up to 3ft, still from the east, with a period of 13 seconds. The wind is light offshore in the morning, and then Monday afternoon you get glassy conditions – a light breeze from the north-northwest. That’s a rare treat. The energy is moderate (228–235). This is a solid, fun little wave for a beginner, but it’s not going to blow your socks off.

Now, the standout comes on Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning is absolute magic: calm, glassy conditions, with a clean 3ft easterly swell, period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is up to 340 (moderate). The water will be clean, no wind at all. This is the best on offer in the first week. The swell is small enough for beginners to handle, but it’s got enough push for a longboard or a funboard. The only downside is that New Brighton is inconsistent, so you’ll need to be patient between sets. But when the sets come, they’ll be clean and lined up.

Wednesday the 29th of July is also a beauty – another morning with glassy, calm conditions, 3ft east swell, 13-second period, and moderate energy (291). Another great, clean session.

After that, things get a bit messy. Thursday the 30th sees a cross-shore wind pick up, and the swell drops back to 2–2ft. The energy drops off too. The rest of the week is a bit of a washout with small, weak swell and onshore winds. From Friday the 31st through to Monday the 3rd of August, the swell is mostly under 2ft, the energy is weak (26–157), and the conditions are just ordinary. You’d be better off doing something else.

Then there’s a big gap of no real surf until the 4th of August. That Tuesday morning things get interesting again, but it’s a tricky one. The swell jumps to 7ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 11 seconds, but the wind is onshore and the energy is very strong (1274). That kind of size and power is only for experienced surfers, and with onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, choppy close-out. For the rest of that week, the swell stays big (5ft to 8ft), and the wind is predominantly onshore or cross-onshore, making it mostly poor for paddle surfing. This setup would actually be more interesting for kite surfing than a traditional surf session.

The best bet in the second week, if you’re an expert, is the morning of the 8th of August. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the east, period of 11 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (452). It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest of that big, windy period.

So, to wrap it up: the first week’s standout is Tuesday the 28th of July, with glassy conditions and a clean 3ft east swell. The second week is a bit of a write-off for clean, fun waves, with a lot of onshore wind and big, messy surf. The best of it would be the 8th of August for experts only.

Rusty.

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