North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, the first real chance to get wet isn’t until the morning of Thursday, July 24th. Before that, we’ve got a few days of messy, onshore junk that’s not worth paddling out for. From the 21st to the 23rd, it’s a write-off – wind is all wrong, waves are small and crumbly. That’s a proper dry spell.

So, Thursday morning the 24th: we see a bit of a pulse. Swell is coming from the south at 6ft, but it’s a short-period wind swell at only 8 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore from the SW at 22 mph, keeping the surface clean. The combined wave energy is moderate (574). It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the first thing that’s rideable. Afternoon drops off a touch.

Friday the 25th is a step backwards. The wind swings back onshore and the swell is a long-period 15-second groundswell from the SSW, but it’s tiny – only 3ft – and the onshore breeze makes it a choppy mess. Not worth it.

Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th? Same story. Onshore winds, lumpy, poor conditions. Stay home.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is the morning of Wednesday, July 30th. This is the best on offer across the whole outlook. The swell is a long-period groundswell from the SSW at 3ft, but the period is a very long 15 seconds, meaning it’ll have some grunt. The wind is glassy – dead calm from the east at 3 mph. The combined energy is still moderate (972), but it’s the only time we get that glassy, clean surface. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 73°. For a beach/pier break like North Beach, that long-period swell can be a little tricky – it might wall up and close out – but with glassy conditions, it’s your best shot. If you’re a confident intermediate, go for it. Crowds are only sometimes an issue, so you might get a few friends out there.

After that, we go into a bit of a lull again. July 31st and August 1st are average with onshore or cross-shore breezes and weak, short-period swell.

Then, hold onto your board. August 2nd and 3rd are huge. We’re looking at a solid 13ft to 15ft south swell with a long period of 12 to 14 seconds. The combined energy is massive (5279 on the 2nd morning, and a whopping 12344 on the 3rd morning). This is expert-only territory – way too big for beginners. The wind is onshore on the 2nd, making it a beast, and cross-onshore on the 3rd, which will be choppy. For the average surfer, this is a big-wave show, not a paddle-out. Honestly, with that much onshore wind and size, it looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing day.

August 4th and 5th ease back a bit. The 4th has a 8ft SSE swell with a 12-second period, with cross-shore winds. The combined energy is strong (1707). It’s still big, but the wind is a bit better. The 5th drops to 6ft, still with a decent period, but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s not perfect.

So, to sum it up: the glassy morning of July 30th is your true standout. August 4th is a solid second option if you’re after size. Everything else in the first two weeks is either flat, messy, or dangerously big.

Rusty.

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