Number Threes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get into it. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a wild card brewing way out there if you’ve got the patience. The water is sitting at 26°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to wet a line comes around Monday the 20th of July at Number Threes (reef). It’s not going to be epic, but we’ll see a pulse of S swell pushing in around 3 ft, mixing with a long period of 16 seconds. That longer period means the waves will have some shape and energy, but they might be a bit fat and straight for a beach setup. The wind is cross-off from the ENE, so the face will be clean. The combined energy is moderate (593). It’s a marginal call, but it’s the first window.

Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are pretty similar, with S swell around 3 ft and a 14-second period, still cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (376 on Tuesday, 660 on Wednesday). It’s gonna be a mushy, inconsistent few days. Nothing to get too excited about, but you won’t be fighting for a wave.

Now, from Thursday the 24th of July into the weekend, the energy starts to ramp up. We’re looking at moderate to strong combined energy (1052 on Friday afternoon, 1421 on Saturday morning). The swell is still mostly SSW, but the period is dropping from 20 seconds down to 17 seconds. Winds are still a solid cross-off from the ENE, so the conditions will be clean. The waves are still small, around 3 ft to 4 ft, so it’s not a big swell, but the energy is climbing.

The real standout is the stretch from Sunday the 26th of July through Tuesday the 28th of July. This is where the swell gets serious. Sunday morning sees 6 ft from the E with a 17-second period, and the combined energy is strong (2673). The wind is a fresh ENE cross-off, so it’s clean. Monday the 27th is the big one – we’re talking 10 ft ENE swell in the morning, ramping to 12 ft in the afternoon, with a 15-second period. The energy is very strong (4895) and it’s a real groundswell. But heads up, at 10 ft plus, this is expert territory only. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the NE, so it’s not a total mess. Tuesday the 28th keeps the party going with 13 ft ENE swell in the morning, a 13-second period, and energy is a beast (5291). Same deal – this is for experienced surfers only. The break is a reef, so it’s got a better chance of handling that long-period swell than a beach break. The wind is a lighter NE cross-off, so it’s still clean.

After that, things drop off fast. Wednesday the 29th of July has a tiny 2 ft S swell, but the wind goes glassy and light in the afternoon. It’s a tiny clean-up day. Thursday the 30th has a bit more size at 5 ft ENE, but the wind is a messy cross-on in the morning, cleaning up by the afternoon. By Friday the 31st, it’s back to the small stuff.

So, the best of the entire forecast is Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of July. That’s a proper, powerful swell hitting Number Threes. It’s going to be big, clean, and for experts only. If you’re not in that league, the Sunday the 26th is a slightly smaller, still strong option. Keep in mind, this is a long-range forecast, so it’s promising but not set in stone.

Rusty.

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