North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty.

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks, mainly at North Beach. The overall pattern is a bit of a tease. We’ve got a decent size south swell pushing in from late this week, but the wind and conditions are going to make it a real game of patience. The water temp is sitting at a pretty standard 71° for the time of year, nothing unusual there.

Straight up, the opening of the forecast is pretty quiet. The first session with any real promise is Saturday afternoon, the 4th of July. You’ll find a solid 7 ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is onshore from the ENE at 6 mph, and the report flags marginal surf. It’s a lot of energy out there (1369), but it’s going to be messy. I wouldn't get too excited for that one.

Sunday the 5th drops off quick. A 5 ft SSE swell on Sunday morning with a cross-on NNE breeze at 6 mph isn’t worth rushing for, and the afternoon gets worse with 12 mph NE cross-ons and a dropping 5 ft swell. Skip it.

Now, Monday the 6th is where we get our first real standout. Monday morning is the pick of the opening days. Glassy conditions with an ENE breeze at only 3 mph, paired with a clean 3 ft swell from the SE at 10 seconds. It’s not big, but it’s clean and the wave energy is moderate (250). For a mid-morning paddle on a small board, this is the best you’ll find for a few days. The afternoon stays small but gets a cross-on.

Tuesday the 7th and Wednesday the 8th are both ordinary – small, choppy, and poor conditions. Wednesday afternoon is trashed by a strong 19 mph SSW wind. Nothing to see there.

The real juice arrives on Thursday the 9th. Thursday morning is a bit average with a 4 ft S swell and cross wind, but Thursday afternoon sees a jump to a 5 ft S swell with a longer 14-second period, and winds are cross-on from the ESE. The energy is strong (887), but it’s still marginal.

Friday the 10th of July is the best on offer for the whole outlook. Friday morning brings a 5 ft S swell with a long 15-second period and a cross breeze from the south at 9 mph. The combined energy is pumping at 1174 – strong, powerful surf. Saturday the 11th is also solid, with a 6 ft S swell and an offshore ESE breeze at 3 mph in the morning. That’s an excellent window: clean face, good size. But keep in mind, this is a long-period groundswell (15 seconds on Friday, 13 on Saturday). At a beach/pier break like North Beach, that kind of period can make the waves a little straight and tricky, but the power and shape will be there for an intermediate surfer. Expect a few crowds sometimes at a spot like this, but with the conditions lining up, it will be worth it.

After the weekend, it goes pretty quiet again. Sunday the 12th is blown out by strong NE winds up to 28 mph, and the rest of the second week drops into small, poor quality surf. Monday 13th through to the end of the 16-day period shows smaller swells, mostly cross-on winds, and a lot of “poor” or “marginal” calls. There’s a small window of glassy conditions on Friday morning the 17th with a 3 ft E swell, but it’s just surfable, not a standout.

So, to wrap it up: the first real quality is Monday morning the 6th for clean small waves. Then the standout is Friday the 10th through Saturday the 11th for solid, powerful south swell with good winds. After that, it’s a long lull. If you’ve got time on the water, aim for those two windows.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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