Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Raffs Beach over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there. The season’s rhythm feels normal.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first solid window is Monday afternoon, July 20th. It’s small, only 2ft from the SW with a long 15-second period. The wind is a light cross-off from the WNW, keeping things clean. It’s not going to blow you away, but for a beginner spot like Raffs, that’s a nice little introduction.

The real standout comes the very next day. Tuesday, July 21st is where you want to be. Tuesday morning we’ve got 4ft of WSW swell, 14-second period, and a clean offshore breeze from the NNW. The energy is moderate at 617, but the conditions are dialed. Tuesday afternoon holds similar, still 4ft from the SW, still clean and cross-off. This is the best on offer for the whole outlook – light winds, a decent push of swell, and very clean. Get in the water.

Wednesday the 22nd turns ugly. A fresh 19 mph WNW breeze kicks up and the surf quality tanks. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 23rd sees a big jump to 8ft from the SW with a 14-second period, but the wind is moderate and cross/cross-off. The energy is strong at 2256, but for a beach break like Raffs, that long-period, straight-tracking swell might break a bit too lined up. The morning has potential for experienced surfers, but the afternoon gets a cross-chop. It’s a watch-and-see day.

Then things get serious. Friday, July 24th through Wednesday, July 29th, the swell pumps at 10ft to 13ft, with energy readings going from 4595 all the way up to 12151. That’s strong to very strong. But here’s the kicker – at these sizes, it’s way too big for a beginner break like Raffs. The wind reports say conditions are clean, but the swell is simply too much. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a tricky call.

By Sunday, July 27th, things start to settle. Monday afternoon the 27th sees 6ft of SW swell with a 13-second period, cross-off breeze, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate at 1315, and it’s marked as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid second-tier window.

The rest of the run into late July and early August is a mixed bag. There are a few mornings with clean offshore winds, like Saturday morning, August 1st (6ft, 13 seconds, offshore NNE breeze) and Sunday morning, August 2nd (6ft, 14 seconds, offshore N wind), but the wind is fresh and the waves are just okay. The energy is moderate. The consistency is there, but nothing screams epic unless you’re happy with solid, clean, average waves.

After that, the swell fades. The final week drops back to 3ft-4ft, with some cross-on or light wind. Not much to get excited about.

Best bet: Tuesday, July 21st. Clean, light offshore, chest-high waves. That’s your session.

Signing off,
Rusty

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