Lighthouse Right Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Noumea. It’s a bit of a slow burner this time around, but there’s a proper rogue wave in the forecast that’ll get the heart pumping if you’re ready for it.

We’re kicking off with a tough stretch. Early Friday, the 10th, and into the weekend, the swell is tiny, around 2ft to 3ft from the SSW, but the wind is all wrong – onshore from the SSE and SE, making a mess of things. Saturday morning, the 11th, has a brief flicker: a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the WNW with 3ft SSW swell and a juicy 16-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 298, but it’s a short window, and the score isn’t high enough to call it a standout. You might sneak a few if you’re desperate and picky.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Saturday afternoon right through to Thursday the 17th, it’s a write-off. Winds are strong and cross-shore or cross-onshore, the swell is messy, and the wave energy stays moderate to low (from 90 up to 636, but always paired with poor conditions). Friday the 17th afternoon sees the swell building to 4ft from the SW with a 12-second period, but that cross-onshore wind keeps it choppy and marginal.

Now, here’s where it gets tasty. The standout is Saturday morning, the 18th of July, at Lighthouse Right, a reef break. We’re looking at a serious pulse of 7ft swell from the SW, with a 12-second period. The combined energy is a massive 1220 (strong). The wind is onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, but the forecast says the wind and tide are favorable – the only catch is that size is ‘too big for this break’. For a reef, that kind of power with a long period will be jacking up fast and heavy. This is strictly for the experts. If you’re not on your game, sit this one out. It’s a true standout, but only for the top tier.

The following week keeps the energy high, but the conditions stay tricky. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st see the swell holding at 7ft to 8ft from the SW and SSW, with energy readings in the thousands (up to 2099). The wind is cross-offshore from the ENE on Tuesday morning, which keeps it clean, but again, it’s too big for this spot. Another expert-only window.

The outlook fades after that. Wednesday the 22nd morning gives us a beautiful window: glassy conditions with calm wind, 4ft from the SSW, but the period drops to 9 seconds and the energy is moderate (280). It’s clean, but not the quality of the big day. From there, it trails off into tiny, weak swell and onshore winds through to the 25th.

So, bottom line: your one true standout is that Saturday the 18th, if you’ve got the skill and balls for a heavy reef break. Everything else is a fight against the wind or just too small. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because a run like this can change.

Rusty.

Read more