Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Raffs Beach over the next couple of weeks.

First up, it’s a wild start. We’ve got a massive pulse of south-west swell slamming into the coast right away, but it’s way too powerful for this spot. The combined energy reading is a whopping 8502 (moderate to strong) on Thursday the 23rd of July, with 12ft surf and a nasty cross-shore breeze. That’s not surfable for a beginner-friendly break like this. Honestly, it’s a bit of a write-off for the first few days. We’ll see those big, unruly sets roll through Friday and into Saturday. The swell is dropping from a solid 13ft on Friday morning (with a clean cross-off breeze, which is a tease) down to 10ft on Saturday afternoon. The period is long, 15 seconds, but the size is just too heavy for a comfortable paddle. This is more of a spectacle than a session.

By Sunday the 26th of July, the swell drops to a more manageable 6ft in the morning, but the wind is cross-off, and the energy has dropped to 892 (weak). The forecasts are calling it marginal, and I’d agree. Monday and Tuesday are similar – small, clean, but nothing to get excited about, with swell heights around 5ft to 6ft. The breeze is light and offshore, but the waves just don't have the push.

Then we hit a bit of a dead zone. Wednesday the 29th of July is a total write-off with onshore winds and a messy 12ft swell. The following days are small and inconsistent. Honestly, from the 23rd right through to the 30th, there's barely a window that’s worth paddling out for a beginner.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Hold on for the end of the month. Friday the 31st of July is a little gem. The morning shows a clean 4ft south-west swell with a light offshore breeze from the north-west. The energy is low at 531 (weak), but the forecast says "very good surf conditions." It’s small, clean, and perfect for a longboard or a funboard. The stand-out, though, is the start of August. Saturday the 1st of August, we have excellent conditions for more experienced surfers. The swell is a solid 5ft from the south-west, with a very long period of 17 seconds. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, and even glassy in the afternoon. The combined energy is up to 1337 (moderate), and the consistency is there. This is a groundswell, so it’ll have a lot of energy and long lulls between sets, which is great for the paddle out. It’s a bit heavy for a total beginner, but for anyone with a bit of time in the water, this is the pick of the forecast.

The run continues into Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning is clean at 5ft, and then the afternoon turns absolutely glassy. Zero wind, 5ft of long-period groundswell. That’s a dream session for anyone. It stays good through Monday the 3rd of August, with a 10ft morning swell (too big for beginners) but the afternoon seeing a drop to 8ft with glassy conditions – that’s an expert’s dream. The energy is 3992 (moderate to strong) and the period is a very long 18 seconds.

After that, the swell fades through the middle of the first week of August, back to smaller, cleaner 5ft to 4ft waves. The very end of the forecast window on Friday the 7th of August shows a tiny 2ft swell with a freakishly long 24-second period. That’s an interesting one, but it might be too small to do much with. The energy is only 575 (weak).

So, the bottom line: the first week is a washout for beginners, with a couple of decent windows for experienced surfers on the 1st and 2nd of August. The absolute best on offer is Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon, with that glassy, 5ft groundswell. It’s clean, it’s powerful, and it’s got your name on it.

Rusty.

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