Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window, and for the first few days, the surf is just not on. We’re looking at a couple of days of nothing worthwhile before things start to turn.

Starting off, Monday the 27th, the waves are small and the wind is a side-offshore breeze. It’s clean, but the swell is weak and the tide is gonna mess with it. Not worth paddling out for. That same pattern holds into Tuesday the 28th; the swell picks up a tiny bit, but the wind gets stronger, and the forecast is still calling it marginal. It’s a frustrating start.

Then Wednesday the 29th, things get ugly. A massive 13 ft SW swell rolls in, but the wind is howling onshore. The water is a blown-out mess, with a combined energy of 8338 – that’s powerful, but it’s all power and no shape. That’s kite-surfing territory, not for a paddle board. That continues into Thursday the 30th; the swell drops but it’s still cross-shore and lumpy with that 2749 energy reading. Not good.

Now, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Friday the 31st of July is the first real standout. We’ve got a 5 ft SW swell, but the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. Dead calm. The water is clean, the waves will have some shape. This is your best bet for a long, fun session. The energy is moderate (586), but it’s going to be clean.

Saturday the 1st of August is the pick of the whole forecast. The morning starts with a clean 4 ft swell and offshore wind, but the afternoon is the real prize. A 6 ft SW groundswell with a very long 16-second period arrives, and the wind is side-offshore. The energy is getting up there (2176), and the conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper clean, powerful swell. The long period will make for some nice, walled-up waves, but it could be a bit much for total beginners.

Sunday the 2nd of August still has that nice long-period 6 ft swell, but the wind cranks up to a fresh 19 mph offshore. It’s clean, but it’s going to be a battle to get out. The energy is still solid (1155).

After that, we hit a dry spell. From Monday the 3rd of August through to about Thursday the 6th, the wind is onshore and the swell is messy. A few days of poor conditions.

We get a small reprieve on Saturday the 8th of August. The morning is glassy with a 4 ft SW swell. It’s a small day, but with the glassy conditions, it’ll be fun for a longboard. The energy is low (507), so don’t expect much power.

The tail end of the forecast, from Sunday the 9th of August into Tuesday the 11th, sees a return of that long-period 5 ft SW groundswell with strong offshore winds. The energy is moderate to strong (1354), but the winds are blowing a gale (19-25 mph). It’ll be clean and hollow, but you’ll need a jet ski to get out. Hard work.

The water temperature is sitting at 55°F, which is about 0.5°F below normal. That’s pretty average for this time of year, so nothing shocking there.

So, to wrap it up: the best window is this coming weekend. Friday the 31st of July for the clean, glassy conditions, and Saturday the 1st of August for the bigger, more powerful swell. The rest of the week is either blown out or too windy to enjoy. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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