North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this straight. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watching this stretch of coast long enough to know when to get excited and when to sit it out. Let's break down what we've got coming up over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we've got a serious weather event blowing through. For the first several days, from Thursday the 16th through to the end of the weekend, we're looking at a strong southerly blow. We're talking near-gale force winds, stormy conditions, and a lot of rain. The swell is up there—8ft to 12ft—but it's coming in with a short period and these winds are so strong they're making it nearly impossible to paddle out. It’s wild out there, but it’s not surfable for anyone. This is a solid week of just watching the ocean roar.

The wind eases back a bit from Monday the 20th into the next week, but it's still a strong breeze. The swell drops from 10ft down to around 5ft. The problem is the wind is still cross-offshore, so the surf is messy and not really holding its shape. Even though the conditions are clean, the wave quality is just poor. It's really not worth paddling out for.

The best of the run, and I mean the only real window of opportunity, comes on Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th. We're talking about a real drop in wind. The swell settles down to around 3ft coming from the ENE, with a period of 8 seconds. The wind gets light, even turning offshore on Friday afternoon, leaving the surface clean. The wave energy is weak (114), but for a point break like North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout, it could offer a few fun, little runners. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. It won't be pumping, but it's the only time in the fortnight where the ocean isn't trying to kill you or blow you off your board. Saturday morning also has a clean offshore wind, but the swell is even smaller.

After that, from Sunday the 26th onwards, the wind picks up again, and the swell stays small and weak. The last few days of the month into the start of August see a strong westerly breeze that brings in a cross-shore chop, which really kills the wave quality. There's really nothing to get excited about in the second week.

So, to sum it up: the only standout is a couple of small, clean days on the 24th and 25th at Pt Lookout. It's small, but it's the only game in town. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off with strong winds, big stormy surf, or just weak, blown-out waves. Hang in there, or go find a river mouth.

Rusty.

Read more