North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

To be straight with you, the start of this period is a bit of a bummer. We’re looking at a run of poor surf conditions right through until the 10th of August. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are a write-off, with small, weak swell and cross-shore winds making a mess of things. The weekend isn’t much better, with more cross-onshore wind and a short, weak little wave on Saturday that’s only 4ft but with a terrible 6-second period – that’s just slop. Sunday the 9th afternoon gets a tiny bit interesting with a 16-second period groundswell from the SSW, but it’s only 1ft, so you’d be straining for anything.

Now, here’s where it gets heavy. Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are going to see a major pulse of energy. Monday morning the swell jumps to 10ft from the south, and by the afternoon it’s pushing 12ft with a combined energy reading of 2867 – that’s serious power. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, but the wave comment makes it clear: this is too big for this break. This is strictly for experienced chargers only, and even then, it’s right on the edge. Tuesday stays big, around 7 to 8ft, but the wind stays clean with a cross-off. The energy is still massive (2307 on Tuesday morning), so again, this is expert territory. The water temperature is sitting at 71°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thick suit.

After that big push, things settle down but remain challenging. Wednesday the 12th sees the swell still a solid 7 to 8ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore in the afternoon, chopping it up. Thursday the 13th morning has another 10ft pulse from the east with light offshore wind, but again, the data says it’s too big for the break. That’s a recurring theme.

The standout window looks like Friday the 14th and Sunday the 16th. On Friday morning the 14th, we’ve got 6ft of east swell with glassy conditions – that is a beautiful combo for North Beach. The wind is dead calm, the surface will be like a mirror, and the swell has some decent 9-second period to it. It’s not a massive day, but for clean, user-friendly waves, this is the one. Sunday morning the 16th is a very similar story: 6ft of east swell and glassy conditions again. The combined energy is moderate at 515, so it’s not a powerhouse, but it’s surfable and clean. Crowds can be a factor here, as it’s a fairly consistent spot, so get in early.

Further out, Wednesday the 19th morning has a cleaner look with 5ft from the east and a cross-offshore breeze, and even Friday the 21st afternoon has a tiny 3ft glassy wave, but by then we’re scraping the barrel.

So, bottom line: the first week is mostly a dud until the big, intimidating swell hits. The true standouts for a good, clean paddle are Friday the 14th and Sunday the 16th mornings. Don’t sleep on those.

Rusty.

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