Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid pulse of south-east swell hitting Rainbow Bay, but it’s a mixed bag – some real quality, but then it drops right off. The water temperature is sitting at 71°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The standout is without a doubt Wednesday morning (8 July) at Rainbow Bay. We’re looking at a solid 10ft south-east swell with an 11-second period, and it’s clean with a moderate offshore breeze from the south. The combined energy is pumping at 2351, so there’s plenty of grunt in the water. This is proper stuff, but with that size it’s for experienced surfers only – beginners should stay out of the way. The point will handle it well, and with the offshore wind, it’ll be nice and clean. The setup looks good for paddle surfing, no question.

Thursday (9 July) is still very good, though a touch smaller at 8ft to 8ft from the south-south-east, with periods around 10-11 seconds. Winds stay offshore and the energy is still strong at around 2413. Again, this is for the experienced crew – excellent conditions, just not quite the peak of Wednesday morning.

Friday (10 July) the swell backs off to 7ft, energy drops to around 865, still clean with offshore winds, but it’s got a “good” feel rather than excellent. Saturday morning (11 July) is glassy with a 5ft south-east swell – smaller and cleaner, but the energy is down to 541 so it’s a much more relaxed session.

Now, here’s where it gets quiet. From Saturday afternoon right through to Thursday morning (16 July), the surf really goes flat. There’s nothing worth paddling out for – drops to below 3ft, poor conditions, messy winds. That’s a solid 5-day stretch of nothing.

Thursday morning (16 July) sees a tiny bump – 4ft from the south, clean enough, but only 255 energy. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary. You wouldn’t get out of bed for it. Friday (17 July) has a bit of a longer-period SE swell at 14 seconds, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, so it’s messy.

Saturday morning (18 July) is glassy again with a 3ft south-east swell at 12 seconds, and 451 energy – that’s actually clean and might give you a few fun little waves if you’re desperate, but it’s nothing to write home about. After that, it’s back to small and ordinary for the rest of the outlook.

So realistically, the best of it is right at the start: Wednesday and Thursday morning. The rest of the 16 days is either flat, too small, or blown out. If you miss that early window, you’ll be waiting a long time.

Rusty.

Read more