Pitstops Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Pitstops. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but don’t write it off just yet. The first few days are pretty marginal, but the second half of the outlook has some real firepower.

We kick off with Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th of July. The swell is running at 6ft to 6ft from the SSE with a period of 10 seconds, but the wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 12 to 16 mph. The combined energy is moderate (670 to 699), but the report flags it as marginal. It’s a bit of a messy start, so I’d give it a miss.

Monday the 27th, the swell drops to 4ft from the SSE, period 9 seconds, and the wind lightens right up to a cross-off 6 mph. The energy is down to 336, but conditions look clean. It’s a small, friendly wave for the beginners. Not a standout, but a good session if you’re just getting wet.

Now, Tuesday the 28th through Thursday the 30th, the swell sits around 2ft to 3ft. The wind is light, often glassy or cross-off. The real news is Thursday the 30th: the swell direction swings to the SSW with a long period of 18 to 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy jumps to 677. The water is a warm 86°, about 2° warmer than normal for the time of year, so it’s a touch toastier than usual. This is a reef break, and that long-period SSW swell will wrap in nicely. It’s a clean, glassy morning on Thursday, and the afternoon is very good. This is your first real standout.

Then we roll into the weekend. Saturday the 1st of August has a 4ft SSW swell, 18 second period, and a combined energy of 952. Light cross-off wind. This is a very good option. Sunday the 2nd has a glassy morning with 3ft of S swell at 19 seconds, and energy 933. The afternoon, however, the swell jumps to 5ft from the S at 18 seconds, with a huge energy of 1715, but the wind turns cross and it’s flagged as marginal. The setup is big and long-period, which can be a handful here.

The real magic happens on Friday the 7th of August and Saturday the 8th. The swell hits 6ft from the S, 18 seconds, with a colossal energy of 2265 on Friday afternoon. The wind is glassy. That’s excellent, clean conditions for experienced surfers. Saturday the 8th keeps it up: 7ft from the S, 16 seconds, energy 2201, with a light offshore from the east. This is big, powerful, long-period groundswell. For a reef break like Pitstops, this is the highlight of the whole outlook. The crowd factor is listed as “often”, so expect company.

The final few days from the 9th drop off a bit, with the swell easing back to 5ft to 5ft and the wind picking up to a moderate breeze. It’s still rideable, but the fire is gone.

So, the standout sessions are Thursday the 30th of July, Saturday the 1st of August, and the absolute best: Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th of August. That’s the big one.

Rusty.

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