North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, when I first eyeballed this forecast for Point Lookout on North Stradbroke I thought, “Here we go, another quiet spell.” And that’s basically what’s happening. We’ve got a solid run of days coming up where the surf is just not cooperating, so don’t rush to wax up just yet. The first thing worth even thinking about isn’t until Wednesday the 8th of July, and even that’s a bit of a tease.

So here’s the pattern: from now, Friday the 3rd, right through to the end of Sunday the 5th, it’s a write-off. On Friday afternoon we’ve got a weak 3ft swell from the ENE, but with a cross-onshore breeze it’s choppy and messy. Saturday and Sunday both have some clean conditions with offshore winds, but the swell just isn’t there – tiny 2ft to 3ft stuff, and on Sunday the wind is howling at 25 mph, making it a battle just to stay on your board. That’s nearly three days of nothing worth paddling out for.

Monday the 6th sees a jump in size – 7ft from the SE – but the energy is moderate at best (601) and the period is a short 7 seconds. On top of that, we’ve got strong cross-offshore winds near gale force, so it’ll be blown-out and lumpy. Then Tuesday the 7th brings 5ft to 6ft SE swell, again short period (8 seconds), and while the wind is offshore and clean, it’s blowing 25 mph, making it a real mission to paddle into.

Now here’s where we finally get a glimmer. Wednesday the 8th of July, Point Lookout. It’s not a stand-out, but it’s the first day that’s borderline. Morning sees a 5ft swell from the SE with an 11-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, so you’ll get some push and longer lulls between sets. The wind is fresh offshore from the south at 22 mph, keeping the waves clean. The combined swell energy is a solid 617 (moderate), which tells you there’s enough power to make it interesting. The only catch is the score is marginal, and with that strong offshore wind, it’s going to be hard to paddle into – you’ll need to be fit and know the line-up. Still, it’s the best we’ve got in this stretch. Water temperature is about 71°, which is pretty standard for this time of year.

But Thursday the 9th is the one that could get a true local buzzing – keep an eye on it. Thursday morning, the 9th of July, Point Lookout. The swell bumps up to 8ft from the SSE, with a 10-second period, and the energy jumps to 1380 (strong). That’s proper size, but be warned – over 8ft is expert territory, and this is close. The wind is straight offshore from the south at 25 mph, so it’ll be glassy and clean, but again, that strong breeze makes paddling a grind. The forecast margin is still borderline, but if the winds ease even a little, this could be pumping. Expect the long-period groundswell to really wrap into the point, giving you some nice, lined-up walls. Because it’s a point break, that long period won’t close out – it’ll groom it perfectly. Just know that it’s not for the faint-hearted.

After that, things drop off again. Friday the 10th through to Sunday the 12th are small – 1ft to 4ft – and mostly clean but weak. The energy drops to 72 on Sunday the 12th, which is barely a ripple. Then from Monday the 13th to the end of the forecast on Saturday the 18th, it’s mostly tiny surf, under 2ft for days at a time, with some cross-shore winds and occasional offshore breezes. There’s a slight blip on Friday the 17th with 6ft from the ESE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be crumbly and weak, and the wind is strong offshore at 28 mph – not worth the effort.

So to sum it up: the best window, and the only real stand-out in the whole 16 days, is Thursday morning the 9th of July at Point Lookout. If you’re keen, that’s your shot for a decent, powerful session with clean, offshore conditions. Wednesday the 8th is a fallback if you’re desperate, but it’s not the same quality. The rest of the period is flat, weak, or blown out. For now, I’d say wait and see if the wind backs off Thursday morning – if it does, get out there.

Rusty.

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