Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk Rainbow Bay. It’s a slow start, but there’s a proper window of clean, offshore swell coming. The water’s sitting at 69°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

First up, Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th are a bust. Weak, choppy, cross-onshore junk with tiny swell and poor conditions. Don’t bother.

Wednesday the 12th is a tease – Wednesday morning goes glassy, which is beautiful, but the swell is small and weak, with combined energy at only 116 (low). Not enough to ride. Wednesday afternoon gets a little more energy (172) but the wind swings cross-on and ruins it.

Thursday the 13th is cleaner, but the swell is tiny and weak. Not worth it.

Now, here’s where it gets good. Friday the 14th morning – that’s the one. Offshore wind from the south at 12 mph, and we get a solid 6 ft of south-southeast swell. The combined energy is 488 (moderate), and the period is a decent 9 seconds. Clean, moderate offshore conditions, and Rainbow Bay is a sheltered point, so it’ll handle that swell well. This is the best session. The afternoon stays similar, but the energy drops a little.

Saturday the 15th keeps the run going. Offshore winds from the south at 16 mph, with 6 ft to 6 ft swell from the south. The period drops to 8 seconds, but the energy is still solid (437 to 404). There’s a chance of rain showers, but the wind is offshore and the waves will be clean. This swell is getting a bit overhead for beginners, but manageable for most.

Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th still have surf, but the quality drops. The wind stays offshore or cross-off, but the swell period shortens, and the energy gets messy. By Monday the 17th, we’re looking at 6 ft to 7 ft of east-southeast swell, with combined energy up to 497 (moderate). The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the wave quality is poor. This might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th have some size (7 ft) but mixed conditions. Wednesday afternoon looks promising again – light cross-off winds, 7 ft of southeast swell, and combined energy of 547 (moderate). That’s a big, clean swell, but it’s getting into expert territory. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy.

From Thursday the 20th through to Sunday the 23rd, the swell slowly drops back to 3 ft to 4 ft, with lightweight offshore winds. It’s surfable, but nothing special. The combined energy is in the 200 to 300 range (moderate). Sunday the 23rd morning is glassy, which is lovely, but the waves are small.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are back to tiny, onshore junk. Not worth it.

So, the best bet is Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th, especially Friday morning. Clean, offshore, solid chest-to-head-high swell, and moderate energy. That’s the one to circle. After that, it’s a slow fade.

Rusty.

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