Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a proper look at what's coming down the line for Raffs Beach over the next couple of weeks. The water's sitting at 55°, pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

First up, Monday the 27th of July ain't much to write home about. We've got a weak 4ft SW swell pushing in, but the wind is a messy cross-off from the NNW at 9 mph. It's clean enough but the energy is low (430) and the whole thing feels marginal. Tuesday the 28th sees the swell bump up a touch to 5ft, and the period stretches out to 13 seconds – a bit more grunt behind it (943). But that wind is howling at 19 mph and it's still cross-off, so it's a bit of a wrestle. Not a day to get excited about.

Wednesday the 29th is a write-off. A whopping 13ft SW swell slams in, but with a 22 mph cross-on wind, it'll be a complete washing machine. That's 7406 (moderate energy) of pure chaos. Absolutely not for the paddle crew. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than anything else – the waves will be there but the quality for a surfboard will be shocking.

Thursday the 30th drops back to a more manageable 7ft to 8ft, but the wind is still swinging cross and cross-on, leaving it lumpy and uninviting.

Now, the real standout hits on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning sees a clean 4ft SW swell with a light offshore from the NNE at 6 mph. Glassy conditions. Then the afternoon is where it gets proper good: the swell jumps to 5ft with a lovely long 16-second period, and the wind goes glassy-light from the ENE at 3 mph. Clean as a whistle, excellent shape – a 5ft SW groundswell with that period will be peeling beautifully. This is the pick of the entire forecast. Just keep an eye out, because crowds are possible here at times.

Sunday the 2nd of August keeps the good run going. A solid 6ft SW swell with that same 16-second pulse, and a clean offshore from the N at 12 mph keeping things tidy all day. Another beauty.

After that, things get mixed up again. The middle of the first week of August sees some onshore winds and rain showers, mucking up the quality. A big 10ft pulse on the 3rd is too much for this break and the wind is cross – not worth it for a paddle.

The second week rolls around with some hopeful signs. Friday the 7th of August has a big 6ft SW swell with a very long 19-second period, but the cross-shore wind keeps it a bit rough. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of August both offer clean conditions: Saturday with a 4ft SW swell and light offshore at 6 mph, and Sunday with a 4ft to 4ft SW swell and a clean offshore breeze. The stand-out in this week is definitely Sunday the 9th of August afternoon – a 4ft SW swell with that 18-second period and a moderate offshore wind (1640 moderate energy) – that's going to be a cracking session for the experienced crew.

Monday the 10th of August morning also offers a clean 5ft SW swell with offshore winds, another solid option, but the afternoon turns onshore and messy. From there, the forecast runs out of steam with choppy cross-onshore winds and dropping energy.

So for my money, the absolute best sessions are Saturday the 1st of August afternoon and Sunday the 9th of August afternoon at Raffs Beach. Mark them in your calendar.

Rusty.

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