Oyster Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, with a look at the surf for Oyster Bay. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but it’s a mixed bag—plenty of wind chop early on, and then the swell gets way too big. Water temp is about 63°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

First chance to surf is Thursday, July 16, in the afternoon, but it’s rough. You’ve got 8ft of SW swell with a 13-second period, and the wave energy is solid at 2367. Problem is, the wind is cross-on from the WSW at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. It’s only marginal, so not worth getting excited about.

Friday, July 17, starts off with 10ft SW swell, but the cross-on wind is still up, and the morning is a write-off. The afternoon drops to 8ft, but it’s still cross-on and fairly choppy. Saturday, July 18, is smaller—5ft to 6ft—but the wind stays cross-on, so it’s not clean. Sunday, July 19, has a brief window of 3ft SW swell in the morning with light wind, but it’s still cross-on and marginal. Then the wind howls to 22 mph in the afternoon, turning it into a mess.

Monday, July 20, is a step up. The morning brings 8ft SW swell with an 11-second period and light cross-on wind (6 mph), and the wave energy is 1960. It’s still marginal because of the wind direction, but it’s rideable. The afternoon is similar with 7ft, and the score is a bit higher. This is your first real chance, but not the standout.

The best session is Tuesday, July 21. The morning is clean with clear skies, a cross-off wind from the ENE at 6 mph, and 6ft of SSW swell with a very long 15-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and the wave energy is 1650. It’s rated excellent for experienced surfers, and the clean conditions will make it glassy. The afternoon stays clean with 7ft SSW swell and a 14-second period, though the wind picks up a bit. Get out there early.

Then the swell blows up. From Wednesday, July 22, through Sunday, July 26, we’re looking at 12ft to 16ft of SW and SSW swell. The wave energy is huge—7245, 7063, even 10238 on Saturday, July 25. The wind and tide are favorable for many sessions, with clean conditions, but the swell is too big for Oyster Bay. This is expert-only, and it’s more for tow-in or big-wave gear. The Wednesday morning and Thursday morning sessions are flagged as too big, and the same goes for the rest of the week. Unless you’re charging big waves, sit this out.

The swell drops from Monday, July 27, with 8ft SSW swell, but the wind is cross-on or fresh, so it’s marginal. Tuesday, July 28, has 7ft SW swell with a long 16-second period, but the cross-on wind keeps it from being great. Wednesday, July 29, is another big spike—10ft SSW swell with a 19-second period and glassy conditions in the morning, but it’s too big. The afternoon stays clean but still too big at 12ft.

Thursday, July 30, offers a more manageable 8ft SSW swell with clean cross-off wind, but it’s only marginal. The wave energy is 2214, so there’s push, but it’s not a standout. Friday, July 31, drops to 6ft from the ESE with a short 9-second period, and the wind is light cross-on, making it a weak, marginal finish.

Overall, the standout is Tuesday, July 21, with clean, long-period groundswell. The rest of the run is either too choppy, too big, or just marginal. For the week after July 22, it’s all big swell and clean conditions, but it’s too powerful for a paddle session here. If you’re not into getting thrashed, give it a miss.

Rusty.

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