North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s see what we’ve got for Point Lookout. Rusty here, and I’ll be honest with you—this stretch of the forecast is a tough one for surfers. We’ve got a long wait before anything really gets going, so don’t be in a rush.

Overall, the outlook is a slow burn. The first week is mostly a write-off with strong winds and messy, blown-out conditions. The real standout doesn’t show up until late in the month, and even then, it’s a one-session wonder.

We start with a rough patch. Sunday morning, July 19th, the swell is a solid 13 ft from the SE, period at 10 seconds, but it’s accompanied by a 37 mph SSE offshore wind. That’s near gale-force, making it almost impossible to paddle into. The wave energy is massive (3459), but the surf is poor. The wind strengthens to gale force (40 mph) in the afternoon, so forget it. Monday keeps the 10–12 ft SE/ESE swell, but the wind is still a strong 31 mph cross-offshore, so it’s clean but extremely hard to handle. Tuesday sees the swell drop to 7 ft, and the wind eases to 22 mph, but the surf is only marginal. The 937 combined energy is moderate, but it’s still not worth the effort.

From Wednesday, July 22nd, through to the end of the month, the swell fades away. Heights drop to 5 ft and below, with short periods (7–9 seconds) and weak energy. The wind is light, but the waves are too small and weak to be fun. A few days like Thursday, July 23rd, have a 3 ft, 8-second swell with clean conditions, but the energy is a paltry 138—just not enough to surf.

The one bright spot appears on Wednesday, July 29th, in the morning. For a few hours, we get a 4 ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is light (6 mph) from the SW, making it a clean cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 648, which is moderate, and the forecast says *expect good surf conditions*. This is the best offer in the whole 16 days. The swell direction (SSE) is solid, but note the optimum swell direction for Point Lookout (North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout) is from the E, so it’s not a perfect match. Still, the clean conditions and the fact it’s consistent make it the standout. The water temp is about 70°F, which is average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

After that morning, it drops off again. The long-period swell on Wednesday afternoon (16 seconds) is from the SE, but it’s onshore and only 2 ft. The rest of the week into early August is tiny, with 1.0 ft to 3 ft waves and weak energy, often under 100. The wind is light, but there’s nothing to ride.

So, in short: don’t bother for the first week-and-a-half. The best chance is the morning of Wednesday, July 29th, but you’ll need to be ready for a short window of clean, modest surf. It’s a patient month, folks.

- Rusty

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