Pitstops Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead at Pitstops, and while it’s not all pumping barrels, there’s some quality running through the middle and a real standout late in the piece.

The overall pattern starts a bit ordinary on Sunday July 12th – a small 3ft southerly swell, but with a risk of thunderstorms and a cross-off breeze that’s not doing us any favours. It’s surfable, but you wouldn’t rush. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate at 231.

Come Monday July 13th, things start to clean up. Still a cross-off wind, but the swell holds around 3ft from the south, and on Monday afternoon the period jumps to a very long 21 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, showing 651 in the combined energy. This long-period stuff at a reef break will be clean and lined up, but expect longer waits between sets.

Tuesday July 14th and Wednesday July 15th are where it gets good. Swell builds to 4ft from the south on Wednesday morning, then Wednesday afternoon we get pure glass – light offshore from the SSE, 4ft swell with a 15-second period, and the combined energy sits at 681. That’s your first real standout. Clean, smooth, and the reef will be working beautifully. The water temp is 86°, which is about average for this time of year.

The following week, from Thursday July 16th through Sunday July 19th, the swell drops back a fraction, hanging around 2ft to 3ft, but the wind stays mostly cross-off or glassy, so it’s still clean and fun. A few sessions will have that glassy feel, especially Saturday morning July 18th and Sunday afternoon July 19th.

Now, the big one: Monday July 20th. Swell jumps to 5ft from the south, period at 17 seconds, and the combined energy hits 1295 – that’s strong wave energy. Winds are light and cross-off from the ESE, so the reef at Pitstops will be firing. This is the best on offer across the whole period. After that, Tuesday July 21st holds 4ft, still cross-off and clean, though the energy drops to 715 (moderate).

From Wednesday July 22nd through to Monday July 27th, you’re looking at a mix of 3ft to 5ft southerly swells, but the periods shorten up, especially around the 23rd and 24th with periods as low as 9-10 seconds. The winds remain cross-off, but the quality dips – some sessions are marginal or have a bit of cross-chop. The 26th has a moderate breeze of 12 mph from the SE, which will put a bit of texture on the surface.

Overall, Wednesday July 15th and Monday July 20th are your two standout days. Get in the water then. The 20th is your best bet: bigger swell, strong energy, clean conditions, and that reef will be your best mate.

Rusty.

Read more