Newport - The Peak Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for our local reef. We’ve only got one spot on the radar for the next 16 days, so we’re keeping it simple.

The water is sitting at 65°F this morning, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thick rubber just yet.

The outlook kicks off this Saturday, the 25th of July, with some decent energy. We’re looking at a solid 6ft swell out of the south, with a period of 11 seconds pushing through – that’s some proper groundswell grunt. The combined energy is moderate at 790. The morning is the real standout here: clear skies, a gentle offshore breeze from the west at 9 mph, keeping things clean. This is good fun, lined-up surf for the advanced crew. The afternoon glass-off is a treat, too, with the wind dropping to nothing, but the swell backs off a touch to 5ft.

Sunday the 26th sees the swell bump up to 7ft from the south, still with that 11-second period, and the energy climbs to 921. The morning looks clean again with a light cross-offshore breeze. This is shaping up to be one of the best windows of the whole run. The afternoon gets a bit sketchy with onshore wind, so morning is the clear call.

Monday the 27th is a taper day. Swell drops to 4ft, period shortens to 9 seconds, and energy is low at 203. The morning is glassy, but the lack of size makes it a session for the logs or the grovelers. The afternoon gets choppy and messy.

Tuesday through to Wednesday morning sees a real flat patch. The swell drops to barely a ripple, with energy levels down to 11. It’s all small, weak, and not worth paddling out for. A gap of dead days.

Then we get a spike. Thursday the 30th of July morning brings a jump to 8ft from the south, but the period is a short 9 seconds, generating a high energy reading of 2032. The wind is clean, but that short period and size makes it a bit of a washing machine. The afternoon turns onshore and choppy. This one is more for the experts, and even then, it’s not the best quality.

Friday the 31st holds decent size at 6ft to 6ft, but that short period and cross-shore wind keeps the quality in the ‘marginal’ bracket. The mornings are cleaner.

The first week of August is a bit of a mixed bag. The 1st and 2nd are small and weak. Then the 3rd and 4th get a bit of size but are ruined by strong onshore winds and rain. That’s a kite-surfing setup if I’ve ever seen one, not a paddle session.

Now, onto the real standout of the whole forecast. Mark your calendars for Wednesday the 5th of August. This is the one. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell from the SSE, but the period jumps to 13 seconds – that’s proper long-period groundswell. The energy is very strong at 1856. The wind is light and cross-offshore in the morning, and by the afternoon it goes dead glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The reef will handle that long period beautifully, giving out some proper, powerful lines. The Thursday and Friday after that are good too, with clean conditions and dropping swell.

But the absolute cherry on top is Saturday the 8th of August. The morning brings a thumping 10ft swell from the SSE. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s a lot of raw power without the best shape. The wind is light and clean. This is big, heavy, and only for the experts. The day after, Sunday the 9th, is a better version of that big swell: 8ft from the SSE with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy is right up there at 1528. The wind is glassy in the afternoon. That Sunday morning is a top-tier session for the confident crew.

So, to wrap it up: for the best all-rounder, get on the Saturday the 25th morning or Sunday the 26th morning. For the real big-wave hunters, the standout is Wednesday the 5th of August, with Sunday the 9th running a very close second. The long-range stuff looks promising, but forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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