North Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, Rusty here. We’re looking at North Bar over the next 16 days, and I’ll be straight with you – most of this run is flat or messy. The first four days (16th through 19th July) barely have any swell at all, just 0.3ft dribble from the southeast with onshore or cross-off winds. You’d be better off waxing your board at home.

Then things finally wake up on Monday 20th July. That morning brings a solid 4ft south swell, 9-second period, and the wind is glass – absolutely dead calm, offshore. The water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 68°F (about 3° colder than average), so you’ll want a spring suit. That session is the pick of the whole outlook: clean, moderate energy (275), and the break is fairly consistent. Crowds are sometimes around, but with that quality, expect a few others to have the same idea.

The next standout is Wednesday 22nd July afternoon. Swell bumps up to 6ft from the south, still 9 seconds, and the wind goes offshore from the southwest at 12 mph. The combined energy jumps to 471 – strong. That’s real punch, but at 6ft it’s still fine for intermediates, though beginners might find it a handful. The beach-and-reef setup should handle the longer period well, but the direction is south, not the optimum east, so it won’t be as lined up as it could be. Still, clean, offshore, and solid.

After that, the 23rd onwards drops back into small, weak surf – mostly under 3ft, with cross-shore or onshore winds and poor energy. The 25th Saturday afternoon has a 4ft south swell, but the wind is cross-off and the energy is moderate (252) – surfable but ordinary. The final few days of July stay marginal, with only a couple of “surfable but ordinary” sessions.

So, bottom line: Monday 20th morning is the true stand-out for clean, glassy 4ft waves. Wednesday 22nd afternoon is the biggest and punchiest, but watch the crowd. The rest of the window is a write-off. If you’re flexible, aim for those two windows.

Rusty

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