Norries Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks around Norries Head are going to test your patience. It’s a point break that’s inconsistent and often crowded, so when it’s good, you gotta be on it. But for the first week and a half, it’s mostly a write-off. The only real chance you’ll get is a very short window early on, and then a late-developing, more promising pulse way out in the second week. Let’s walk through it.

Your best bet, and honestly the only standout worth getting excited about, is Thursday morning, 23 July. Conditions align nicely: clear skies, a glassy 3 mph southerly wind, and a small but clean 4 ft swell from the east with a short period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 208 (moderate). It won’t be big or powerful, but for a beginner-friendly point that’s inconsistent, this is your moment. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual to report.

That window shuts fast. By Thursday afternoon the wind swings onshore and it gets messy. From Friday, 24 July, right through to Wednesday, 5 August, it’s a long, bleak stretch. There’s a small spike in swell energy on Saturday, 26 July morning – 1 ft from the east-northeast with just 33 combined energy – but with poor conditions, it’s not worth getting wet. The whole period is dominated by cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, mostly southerlies at 12 mph or stronger, and tiny, weak waves. Even the few glassy moments, like Monday, 27 July morning, only deliver a 1.0 ft ESE swell with 45 energy. That’s not surf, that’s a ripple.

Then, on Sunday, 2 August, things start to look more interesting. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the southeast with an 11-second period and a combined energy of 931 (strong). The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the south-southwest, so it’s not perfect but it’s a lot better. This swell carries well into Monday, 3 August morning with 5 ft from the southeast at 10 seconds and 452 combined energy (moderate-strong). Still, conditions are described as marginal, so it’s not the cleanest.

The real kicker comes on Thursday, 6 August morning, well over a week away. This is the one to circle on the calendar – a 13 ft southeast swell with a 9-second period and a massive 2310 combined energy (very strong). That’s a big, powerful swell for a north-east facing point. The wind is a cross-shore southerly at 12 mph, which means it won’t be glassy, but it could still offer some heavy sets for experienced surfers. Anything over 8 ft is expert territory, and this is well above that. The period is short, so expect it to pitch fast and dumpy – more of a challenge than a cruisy point wave. Given the crowds are often an issue here, this kind of size might thin the pack out, but keep your wits about you.

All in all, don’t hold your breath until that Thursday, 6 August window. Before that, it’s slim pickings. Stay tuned – forecasts can shift, and in an inconsistent spot like this, you take what you can get.

Rusty.

Read more