North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Point Lookout are a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, not much of it is worth paddling out for. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but the wind is going to be a major problem for most of it.

The pattern kicks off with a strong southerly wind event that’s going to trash the surf. Wednesday afternoon is a write-off with a tiny 0.3ft swell from the NE and a near gale-force SSE wind at 31 mph. It’s a mess. Thursday gets a bit of size, pushing 6ft by morning and 8ft in the afternoon from the SSE, but that wind is still howling out of the S and SSW at 31-34 mph. It’s near gale force offshore, which sounds good in theory, but in practice it’s going to be a battle to even get out there, and the water will be a swirling mess. The combined wave energy is moderate on Thursday, hitting 447 and then 780, but it’s not doing you any favours.

Friday and Saturday are just as wild. The swell holds around 7ft to 8ft from the SE, but the wind is a strong breeze to near gale, mostly cross-off. The energy is climbing – by Saturday morning we’re at 1015 (moderate-to-strong) and by Saturday afternoon a big 12ft swell from the SE with a gale-force wind at 40 mph, giving us a massive 2118 energy reading. That’s big, powerful, and dangerous. Only for experts, and even then, it’s a battle. Sunday and Monday keep that oversized trend with 10ft to 12ft swells from the ESE and SE, and energy levels hitting 2440 and 2979. The wind eases slightly to a strong breeze, staying cross-off, so it’s clean in the sense of no chop, but the power is huge. At this size, Point Lookout, being a point break, will hold but it’s a serious, heavy wave. Not for beginners.

Tuesday the 21st of July is the first real sign of things settling. The swell drops to 8ft from the E, with a fresh breeze out of the SE at 22 mph, cross-off. The energy is still high at 1423, but the surf is now marginal, with questionable tide conditions. It’s still a big, powerful swell for a point break, but it’s messy.

From Wednesday the 22nd onwards, the swell keeps dropping. 6ft on Wednesday morning, 5ft in the afternoon, both from the E with a period of 10 seconds. The wind is a gentle to moderate breeze, cross-off, and the energy drops to 534 and 469. It’s clean, but it’s ordinary. The water temp is about 71°F right now, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no drama there.

The real highlight, if you can call it that, is probably the Thursday the 24th of July evening session. The swell is down to 4ft from the ENE with a 9-second period, and the wind goes light offshore out of the SSE at 6 mph. That’s glassy, clean conditions. The energy is low at 206, so it’s not going to be a world-beater, but it’ll be a fun, mellow wave for a point break. The Friday morning the 25th is similar, with 3ft and a light cross-off breeze, but it’s fading fast.

After that, we’re into a flat spell. The surf drops to 2ft and below from the 28th of July, with energy readings in the tens and single digits. The wind is often offshore, but there’s nothing to ride. There’s a small pulse of 4ft from the SSE on the 29th of July, but it’s gone again in the afternoon. The 30th sees a 5ft bump from the ESE, but it’s a short-period 7-second swell, cross-shore wind, and just ordinary.

So, the best on offer is that Thursday the 24th of July, with the light offshore wind and a clean, small point break wave. It’s not a standout for power, but it’s the only window where it’s comfortable and surfable. The big swells from the 18th to the 20th are huge, but with the wind, they’re more of a kitesurfing show than a paddle-surfing dream. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because things can change.

Rusty.

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