Nyang-Nyang Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipeline for this stretch of coast.

First off, the water is sitting at a pretty standard 80°, which is right on the money for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Now, the honest truth about the next 16 days? It's a tough run. The swell is coming from the right direction, that SW quarter, and there's a lot of energy in the water at times – we're talking about some serious numbers, like 1,421 or even 3,852 in the combined energy readings. But the wind is the story here, and it's a relentless one. It's a constant cross or cross-on wind from the ESE or SE, blowing at 12 to 19 mph, sometimes hitting 22 mph. That is going to chop up the surface and make it messy. A lot of these sessions are flagged as "poor surf conditions" or "marginal," and with that wind, I can't disagree.

The first time we see any surf on offer is the Saturday morning, July 11th. Nyang-Nyang (reef) is showing a 6 ft SW swell, with a period of 14 seconds – that's a nice, long-period groundswell bringing a lot of energy (1,421). The problem is that 16 mph cross wind. It's a cross-shore chop, not clean. That's the best of the first week, but honestly, it's still a scrappy option. The swell drops off quickly after that, and the wind just doesn't let up. For the next week or so, we're looking at a gap of day after day with no real recommendation. The swell is there, but it's all chewed up by the wind. The periods are decent, sometimes very long – hitting 21 and 23 seconds mid-week – but the wind is just too strong for that to matter at a spot like this. It's a reef break, so it needs clean conditions to shine.

If you're a kite surfer, this stretch of weather might be interesting because there's plenty of wind and significant swell. For a paddle surfer, it's a frustrating forecast.

Looking further out, into the second week, there are a couple of mornings that pop up as "marginal" rather than "poor" – like the morning of July 21st and the morning of July 24th. The 21st has a 6 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is cross-shore, not cross-on. That's still a lumpy 19 mph breeze, but it's the closest we get to a clean window. The 24th has a 4 ft to 5 ft SSW swell, also long-period (15 seconds), and the wind is a lighter 12 mph, but still cross-on. Those are the only two standouts in the entire 16-day window, and even they are a long way from perfect. Everything else is a write-off. It's a long, frustrating run of onshore winds.

So, what's the best on offer? It's a toss-up between two less-than-ideal mornings. July 21st morning, or July 24th morning. Between the two, I'd lean slightly towards July 24th. The swell is a little smaller (4 ft to 5 ft) but it's still a solid SSW groundswell (1,487 combined energy) with a clean 15-second period, and the wind is a lighter 12 mph. It's still cross-on, so it won't be glassy, but it might be the most manageable. The 21st has more size (6 ft) and energy (1,778), but that 19 mph cross-shore will be lumpy. For a reef break like Nyang-Nyang, a long-period swell like this can be a bit touchy too, as it likes to run down the line rather than pitch up. But given the alternatives, it's the best of a bad bunch.

We're in a holding pattern, folks. The swell is there, but the wind is the enemy. It won't stay like this forever, but this 16-day window is a tough one.

Rusty.

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