North Stradbroke - Pt Lookout Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Point Lookout on North Stradbroke and honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s a tough watch. The first decent wave doesn’t even show up until Saturday the 25th, and even then it’s a mixed bag. We’ve got a long stretch of junk beforehand.

Friday the 24th is a write-off. Tiny 0.9m of weak, short-period easterly slop, with a stiff 25 km/h SSE wind onshore in the morning, then a howling 40 km/h in the arvo. Just don’t bother. The water temp is bang on average for the time of year at 21°, at least.

Saturday the 25th morning is the only real standout in the whole run. We get a clean, moderate offshore breeze out of the south at 25 km/h, working on a 1.6m SSE swell. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’s not a deep groundswell, but the combined energy reading is 535 – that’s proper moderate energy, and it’ll be a big step up. The break is a point, so it’ll handle that direction well. It’s a consistent spot, so the sets will keep coming. For an intermediate, this is your window. Keep in mind, at 1.6m it’s getting a bit much for a total beginner. The crowds are a possibility here, so expect some company.

Saturday afternoon drops off quick to 0.8m and a cross-off breeze, so it’s done by lunch.

Sunday the 26th is a letdown again – 0.5m and weak. Monday the 27th through to Thursday the 7th of August is a brutal stretch of tiny surf, strong winds, and rain showers. There’s a couple of mornings with a clean offshore but the swell is barely knee-high. It’s a grim run.

Now, look at the tail end. Wednesday the 6th and Thursday the 7th of August show some promise in the data, but it’s far out, so take it with a grain of salt. Thursday the 4th of August morning has a 1.3m easterly swell with a moderate offshore, and a 281 combined energy reading – that’s a solid pulse – but again, it’s a long way off. The 8th of August Saturday morning is interesting: a 1.4m SE swell with glassy conditions. That’s a rare moment of pure calm, but it’s a beach-break point, and the period is only 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. For a surfer, that glassy window is a golden chance if the swell holds.

Bottom line: Saturday the 25th morning is the one to circle. The rest is a waiting game. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong offshore winds later in the run might be more your thing than a paddle surfer’s.

Rusty.

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