Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

The big news is that we’ve got a solid pulse of swell coming in right away, but it’s not going to stick around. The first few days are the real deal, then we’re looking at a lot of small, ordinary days. There’s a standout early on, but after that, you’ll be waiting for a glassy moment to make the most of what’s left.

Tuesday, July 21st – This is the call. This morning, we’ve got a powerful 8ft ESE swell, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 1860, so there’s plenty of push. The wind is offshore from the SSE, and the water is about average for this time of year. This is going to be a heavy, clean point break session. It’s a bit big for beginners, but for anyone with some experience, you’ll be licking your lips. The crowd is often there, but for waves like this, you won’t mind. The afternoon drops to a 7ft easterly swell, still clean, but the energy is lower (784). Still a great day for a paddle.

Wednesday, July 22nd – The swell drops to 5ft from the east, but the wind is light offshore in the morning, and then it goes glassy in the afternoon with a 4ft ENE swell. That afternoon glass-off is a real treat. The period is 10 seconds, so it’ll have good shape. Combined energy in the afternoon is 433. This is a classic, mellow Rainbow Bay session.

Thursday, July 23rd – The swell is dropping into the 4ft to 4ft range from the east, with a period dropping to 8 seconds. The morning is glassy, but the energy is low (226). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. The afternoon is clean but small.

Friday, July 24th – A bit of a weird day. Morning has a tiny 3ft ENE swell, but the wind is strong offshore. The afternoon sees a spike in size to 6ft from the SSE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, and it’s still blowing 15 mph. The energy is a moderate 361, but the short period and strong wind mean it’s poor. This one looks more like a kite surfing day than a paddle surfing day.

Saturday, July 25th – The morning is a quiet 4ft from the SSE, with light offshore wind and a 9-second period. Energy is 558. It’s clean, but the swell direction is not ideal for this sheltered point. The afternoon is a write-off due to a cross-onshore wind.

Sunday, July 26th through Monday, August 4th – This is a long stretch of mostly small, ordinary surf. We’re talking waves between 1ft and 4ft, with weak energy mostly under 300. The wind is often offshore or glassy, so the conditions are clean, but the lack of swell is the problem. There’s a brief spike on the morning of Thursday, July 30th with a 4ft SSE swell and 230 energy, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy.

Tuesday, August 4th – Finally, a glimmer. The morning is glassy with a 2ft swell from the SE, but the period is a very long 15 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 418. This is a groundswell, and at a point break like Rainbow Bay, it’ll wrap in nicely. The waves will be small, but the shape will be fantastic. The long period means longer gaps between sets, but it’s worth the paddle out. The afternoon is clean but ordinary.

The rest of the window into early August is small, clean, and not very exciting. There’s a gap of several days where it’s really just a wait-and-see situation.

The standout is hands down Tuesday, July 21st morning. The 8ft ESE swell with offshore wind is the best we’ve got. The other notable moment is the glassy Wednesday afternoon, and the long-period groundswell on Tuesday, August 4th morning is a good deep cut for the patient surfer.

Rusty.

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