Norman Bay (Wilsons Promontory) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you—this stretch for Norman Bay is a tough one. We’re looking at a real lean run over the next 16 days, with nothing that’s gonna get the heart racing. The first week is mostly blown out or just too small, and the second week doesn’t offer much to change that story. There’s a gap of several days with no real recommendations, so you’ll be waiting a while.

The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year—nothing unusual there.

We start off on Monday the 13th of July, and it’s a write-off. Strong WNW winds at 31 mph, howling cross-on, with a 8ft swell from the WSW but it’s a messy, blown-out mess. The combined energy is a massive 3731, but it doesn’t matter with those winds. Rubbish.

Tuesday the 14th is more of the same—strong westerly winds, onshore, 8ft to 8ft of WSW swell, and the energy is still huge (3895 and 3641), but it’s all for nothing. Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 15th sees the swell drop to 6ft, but those westerly winds are still onshore at 16-19 mph. The energy is still moderate (1697 and 1431), but the surf is poor.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are the first hint of something possible. The swell drops to 4ft to 4ft, and the wind finally starts to ease. On Thursday morning, we’ve got a light westerly breeze (6 mph) onshore, with a 4ft SW swell (15-second period, so a nice groundswell) and energy around 695 to 714. The conditions are only marginal, but it’s the best we’ve seen so far. Friday afternoon gets even better: a whisper-light WNW wind at 3 mph, onshore, with a 4ft SW swell and a very long 17-second period. The energy is 841, and the conditions are described as “expect good surf” but only a 2/10 score—so, tiny, but clean. It’s the best on offer, but only just.

Saturday the 18th is your standout. Morning starts with a light NNE breeze (3 mph) cross-off, and a 3ft SW swell (14 seconds), with energy at 407. The afternoon is even better: a glassy offshore breeze from the east at 3 mph, with a 3ft WSW swell, energy at 342, and clean conditions. This is the pick of the period—small, but clean and surfable for a beginner.

Sunday the 19th goes glassy in the morning with a 2ft swell, but it’s very small and ordinary. The energy is only 188. Not worth a special trip.

From Monday the 20th through to the end of the 16 days, it’s a real struggle. The swell drops to 1ft to 3ft, and the winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, with energy values from as low as 47 to 489. The long-period swells (up to 18 seconds) show up on the 24th of July, but the winds are light and onshore, killing the quality. The 27th of July has a 3ft SW swell with a 17-second period and energy of 493, but the wind is cross-shore and light, making it only marginal.

Honestly, if you’re a beginner, Saturday the 18th is your best bet for a clean, safe paddle. For anyone else, it’s a waiting game. The forecast can change, but right now, it’s a lean patch.

Rusty.

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