North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what North Beach has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this outlook starts with a bit of a struggle. The first few days are pretty average thanks to shifty winds and iffy conditions. We’ve got a small window of cleaner waves mid-week, but it’s not till way out near the end of the period that things look like they could come together nicely. There will be a long gap of about a week with nothing really worth paddling out for, from around the 31st of July through to the 6th of August. That’s a dry spell.

Let’s get into it.

Starting this Saturday the 25th of July, we’ve got chest-high swell coming in from the SSE, around 6 ft to 6 ft, with a period of 9 seconds – a bit short and weak. The water is sitting at 73°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year. The wind is light, but it’s cross or cross-onshore, so the surface is going to have those annoying little ripples. It’s not going to be clean, and the surf is marginal. It’s a pass for me.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, the wind picks up from the NE and gets a bit nasty. Swell drops, and the chop builds. Not your day.

Now, Wednesday the 29th of July is where you want to sit up and take notice. Finally, we get some clean conditions. The wind goes light offshore from the WSW in the morning and SW in the afternoon, with waves around 5 ft to 6 ft out of the SSE (8-second period). It’s not huge, but the wave energy is moderate (566-593) and the surface is clean. This is the best window in the first week. If you’re intermediate and keen, this is your morning session. Crowds at North Beach can be an issue sometimes, so get in early.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st, the wind swings back onshore and the quality drops again. The swell hangs around, but the wind messes it up. It’s frustrating.

Now, here comes the long quiet stretch. From the 1st of August all the way through to the 6th, the wind is consistently from the NE or ENE, cross-onshore, and gets stronger. The swell actually builds: by Sunday the 2nd of August, we’re looking at solid 7 ft to 8 ft out of the ESE with an 11-second period – that’s a decent long-period groundswell. The combined energy is over 1200, which is serious power. But here’s the problem: the wind is howling out of the NE at 12 to 16 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. For a beach/pier setup like North Beach, that kind of wind and size means the surface is a mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s expert-level only if you’re strong and don’t mind the chop. But for most of us? Hard pass.

We finally get a break in the weather on Friday the 7th of August, about two weeks out. The morning looks magic: a tiny glass-off, with the wind going totally glassy – dead calm. The swell is small, only 2 ft, but it’s a long-period 16-second groundswell from the SW. That’s a very long period, which will wrap into North Beach with some nice lines, but because it’s a beach break, it might be a bit straight. However, with glassy conditions and clean faces, it could be a fun little session for a log or a fish. The energy is moderate (505). This is a promising but less certain long-range standout.

The afternoon of the 7th, the wind screams back from the SSW at 22 mph, cleaning it up but making it unsurfable for most.

After that, the 8th and 9th are back to poor, onshore junk.

Bottom line: If you’re keen, hit Wednesday the 29th of July for the cleanest waves in the first week. For a gamble on a glassy, small-wave day, keep an eye on Friday the 7th of August in the long-range. The rest is a write-off.

Stay stoked, and check the tides.
Rusty.

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