Oyster Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Oyster Bay. This is a bit of a disappointing stretch, to be honest. The bay is an exposed sandbar, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not the kind of spot you can rely on to fire all the time. You’ll need to pick your moments carefully.

The week starts off with a bit of a wait. The first real look is Monday the 20th, but it’s not worth paddling out for. We’ve got a 6ft swell from the SW, but it’s a short, weak 11-second period, and a cross-onshore wind from the SW is chopping it all up. The combined wave energy is moderate (1279), but the conditions are just marginal. Best to sit this one out.

Tuesday the 21st offers a glimpse of hope. The morning has a 6ft SW swell, but the period jumps to 15 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-shore from the WNW, which is clean. It’s a bit better, but still only marginal. The afternoon builds to an 8ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the wind stays light cross-shore from the SE. The energy is strong (2932), but it’s still a marginal call. Not a standout, but a patient surfer might find a few.

Wednesday the 22nd sees the wind pick up, and the quality drops. Thursday the 23rd gets messy with a strong breeze, and by Friday the 24th, we’ve got a big swell. The Friday morning (24th July) sees a 13ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a light offshore from the NE. The bay is clean, with massive energy (7846). But here’s the thing – that’s too big for this sandbar break. It’s only for experienced surfers, and even then, it’s a big, powerful wave that’s going to be a handful. The Friday afternoon is similar, 12ft and clean, with a cross-offshore wind, but again, it’s too big for the average punter.

The best on offer in this whole outlook is Saturday morning, the 25th of July. The swell drops to 8ft from the SW, with a 14-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ENE, and the bay is clean. The energy is still strong (2556). This is the standout window. It’s solid, but not enormous, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The water temperature is 64°F, which is a bit colder than average for this time of year – about 2°F below normal, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. The crowd at Oyster Bay can be “sometimes” busy, so on a clean Saturday morning, expect company.

The rest of the run is a mixed bag of onshore winds and messy conditions. There’s a lot of poor surf through late July into early August. The wind is often strong and cross-onshore, churning the bay up. August 1st has a massive 20ft swell, but it’s completely blown out with a cross-onshore wind. The energy is very strong (12193), but it’s a washing machine. Not worth it for paddling, but if you’re into kite surfing, the setup looks more interesting.

The second week is a bit of a write-off. There’s a promising window on Thursday the 30th of July, with a morning offshore from the NNE and a 7ft SW swell, 13-second period, clean conditions. The energy is moderate (1490). This is a solid option for experienced surfers, but it’s not a massive standout. After that, the wind stays onshore and the swell gets too big again. The 2nd of August has some clean, cross-offshore winds with a 15ft S swell, but it’s too big for most.

Overall, the pick is Saturday morning, the 25th of July. It’s the best balance of size, cleanliness, and decent energy. The Friday before is too big, and everything after is either too small or too windy. For a spot that’s inconsistent, this is about as good as it gets right now.

Rusty.

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