Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Raffs Beach. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some real potential for a standout session if you’re patient and pick your days.

The overall pattern starts off with a decent pulse of long-period, powerful groundswell from the southwest, but the first few days are a bit of a tease. Wednesday morning, the 8th of July, is actually the first surf on offer, but the waves are a bit fat and the wind is coming across the face, so it’s not the cleanest. The swell is a solid 5 ft at a very long 18 seconds, with a lot of energy (2154), but it’s a cross-off breeze, so it’s not glassy. The afternoon turns a bit more onshore and bumpy, so I’d give the morning a look only if you’re desperate. Thursday and Friday are still on the small side (4 ft to 5 ft), but the wind goes offshore and clean, which is a big positive. The swell period drops to 15 seconds, so it’s still a proper groundswell, but the energy is moderate (815 to 884). It’s clean, but the waves are just okay for a beginner spot. Saturday the 11th turns into a write-off with strong 22 mph offshore winds that are just too strong, making it messy and small.

Now, Sunday the 12th is where it gets interesting – but not for the faint-hearted. The swell jumps to 13 ft, with a massive energy reading of 7322, and the wind is strong and cross-off. That’s way too big for a beginner break like Raffs. This is big, powerful, and only for experts who know what they’re doing. Monday the 13th is still oversized at 10 ft, and the wind is still strong, so again, it’s a big-wave session only. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual. The middle of the week (Tuesday the 14th) still has a solid 7 ft swell, but it’s a bit of a messy, cross-off wind, and the conditions are described as marginal. Not a great call for a standard paddle.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Friday the 17th of July. The morning session is the pick of the entire forecast. We’ve got a clean 8 ft of southwest swell, with a long 17-second period, packing a strong 3033 energy reading. The wind is a light offshore breeze from the north, near glassy, so the face will be smooth. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – solid, powerful, and clean. The afternoon is still good at 6 ft, but the morning is the true gem. Saturday the 18th is also very good, with clean 6 ft to 5 ft waves and gentle offshore winds, so you’ll get a couple of quality days.

After that, the swell fades out quickly. Sunday the 19th drops to 4 ft, and by Monday the 20th it’s down to under 3 ft, with strong offshore winds that just make it too gusty for fun waves. The rest of the week into the 23rd looks small and weak, with very little energy (98 to 565) and mostly onshore or cross-on winds, so it’s basically a flat spell. There’s a decent gap of nothing from the 20th to the 23rd.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf on offer is Friday the 17th of July morning at Raffs Beach. Get there early for 8 ft of clean, powerful SW groundswell with light offshore winds. Saturday the 18th is a close second. The rest is either too big, too small, or blown out. Crowds are possible at Raffs, so keep that in mind on the good days.

Rusty.

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