Nobbys Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Nobbys Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a bit of a slow start. The first few days are a write-off with onshore wind and messy, poor surf. We’re looking at Friday the 17th through to Sunday the 19th with nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is small and the wind is blowing straight onshore, turning everything into a washing machine. You’d be better off staying on the sand.

Things start to get interesting from Monday the 20th. The morning brings a glassy, clean 5ft easterly swell with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is light from the north and it’s glassy. This is a proper window of clean, surfable waves at Nobbys Reef. The combined energy is moderate (499). The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. It’s a good one for a paddle.

Tuesday the 21st morning is also clean, with a light offshore from the northwest and a 3ft swell from the east-northeast. The energy is moderate (274). It’s a smaller morning but still worth a look if you’re keen for a few clean ones. The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore and choppy.

Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd drop off significantly. The swell gets smaller, down to 3ft and then 2ft, and while the wind is offshore, the wave energy is low (139 and 72). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 24th of July morning. The forecast shows a solid 12ft southerly swell with a 10-second period. That’s a lot of water moving around. The combined energy is massive (4035). However, the wind is a moderate cross-shore, and the file flags that this is too big for this break. This is an expert-only situation, and even then, it’s going to be a beast. The morning is the only window, as the afternoon turns choppy and cross-onshore. If you’re a very experienced surfer and know this reef, it could be a thrill, but for most, it’s a day to watch from the rocks.

After that big pulse, the next real highlight is Monday the 27th of July morning. The swell drops back to 5ft from the southeast, but the period is a very long 13 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the west-southwest, keeping it clean. The energy is moderate to strong (802). This is a classic Nobbys Reef swell – long period, clean, and well-shaped. The long period might make it a bit straight at the beach, but on the reef it should be excellent. This is the best on offer in the whole outlook.

The rest of the following week drops off. Tuesday the 28th is clean but smaller (4ft), and then it gets messy with rain and onshore winds from Wednesday the 29th onward. The 30th of July has a tiny 1ft glassy wave, but it’s very ordinary. The first of August brings heavy rain and strong onshore winds, with a 7ft swell that’s blown out.

So, the two true standouts: Monday the 20th morning for the glassy, clean start, and Monday the 27th morning for the long-period groundswell and clean conditions. That 27th is the one to circle.

Rusty.

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