Ninja's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, cos we're taking a long look at the one spot we've got on the radar: Ninja's. We're looking at a solid 16-day window starting from the end of July, but don't get your hopes up for the first week—it's a write-off. The first few days are a mess, with strong winds and messy cross-chop killing any chance of a decent wave. You're looking at a blank run until Sunday the 2nd of August, and even then, it's a tease.

The surf finally starts to show a pulse on the morning of Sunday the 2nd. We get a clean, gentle offshore breeze from the NW, but the swell is tiny at just 2ft from the SW. The water temp is sitting at 85.3°, which is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit needed. The energy is weak (294) and the period is a long 14 seconds, which will make for some slow, straight lines on a reef setup. It's a good sign though, a little taste of what might come.

Then things get more interesting. From Monday the 3rd through to Wednesday the 5th, we see a real pulse of energy. The swell bumps up to 3.5ft to 4ft, with a very long period between 16 and 19 seconds, coming from the SSW. The combined energy jumps into the moderate-to-strong range, hitting 791 on Monday afternoon and peaking at 1065 on Wednesday afternoon. The wind is cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean. This is where it gets good. The long period and solid SSW direction are perfect for this exposed reef. The consistency is "fairly consistent" here, so you'll get plenty of sets. The only downside? It's a beginner-friendly reef, and with crowds marked as "often", you won't be alone. The early morning sessions on the 4th and 5th look the pick of this first proper run, with that clean energy and a solid 4ft of swell.

The swell fades a bit through the weekend of the 8th and 9th of August, but holds around 5ft from the S. The problem is that the wind swings cross-shore, creating a lumpy cross-chop. It's not great, but it's surfable. The real standout window is sliding into the second week. On Friday the 14th of August, the stars align. The forecast shows a clear sky, a light breeze from the W at just 6 mph, and a clean 4.5ft swell from the SSE. The energy is solid (698) and the period is a good 11 seconds. This is the best on offer. The following morning, Saturday the 15th, looks just as good with the same light offshore wind and 4ft of clean, lined-up swell. Expect very good surf conditions. If you can only surf one day in the whole 16, aim for Friday the 14th or Saturday the 15th. The long period swell will be breaking nicely on the reef, offering proper waves.

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