North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout. It’s a bit of a slow burn for the next week, but there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 70°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – nothing to write home about but you won’t freeze.

Right now, it’s a quiet start. Monday afternoon is tiny, just 0.7ft of easterly groundswell with a 12-second period, but the cross-off southeasterly wind is making it look clean. Still, with only 17 units of energy pushing through, it’s not worth paddling for. Tuesday and Wednesday stay small and weak, with the swell barely getting past 2ft and short periods under 9 seconds. The energy is dribbling in, mostly under 35 units, so you’re looking at a flat spell.

Thursday morning the 30th sees a fresh offshore breeze from the SSE hitting 19 mph, keeping it clean, but the swell is still only 2ft with a 7-second period. It’s a skunk session size-wise. Friday the 31st is the first real kicker – the swell jumps to 5ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, both from the east, with a strong offshore SSE wind blowing 25 mph. The energy picks up to 210 and 297 units. But here’s the rub: the period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a messy, short-interval wind swell, and while it’s clean, it’s gonna be hard work to paddle into. The strong breeze will keep the surface clean, but the quality is poor for a proper wave.

The first weekend of August hangs in the mediocre zone, with Saturday morning dropping back to 3ft and Sunday morning at 4ft under fresh offshore winds. The energy is moderate (257 units on Sunday morning), but the period is still short. The real standout in the whole outlook is the morning of Sunday the 9th of August. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The swell is 4ft from the southeast, with a proper 11-second period, and the energy is pumping at 393 units. The wind is light from the south, blowing offshore, so it’s gonna be glassy clean. That’s a genuine groundswell with decent shape, and the point setup at Pt Lookout should handle that nicely. The direction is from the southeast, which is not the optimum east, but close enough to wrap in well. The morning session that day is the pick of the bunch.

The rest of the second week is a mixed bag. The 6th and 7th of August see bigger swell – 6ft to 7ft – but the period stays short, and the wind is either cross-off or strong offshore. The energy is strong (over 400 units), but the quality is poor, and it’ll be a challenge for anyone but the experts. The 8th of August is similar, with 6ft to 6ft and marginal conditions. The 10th and 11th drop off again, with the swell fading below 3ft and cleaner winds but not much push.

Honestly, if you’re itching for a surf, wait for the morning of the 9th of August. That’s your best shot for a clean, solid wave with a bit of grunt. Everything else is either too small, too short-period, or too windy. It’s a typical winter pattern – long waits between the good ones.

Rusty.

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