Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, but hang tight – we’ve got some proper fun waves coming through from Monday the 7th on. The water temp is sittin’ right on 70°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so you won’t need a full winter suit.

Right off the bat, today (Sunday the 6th) is a total dud. Tiny 1ft SSE swell and a nasty cross-on breeze – not worth paddling out for. You’re better off waxing your board and waiting.

Monday the 7th is where things start to get interesting. The morning sees a solid 6ft S swell pumping in, with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate (917), so there’s some push behind it. That 8-second period is a bit short, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but it’s clean and surfable. The afternoon drops a little to 6ft from the SSE but stays clean. This is easily the best day of the first week – a proper standout.

Tuesday the 8th is a mixed bag. Early morning we’ve got 4ft S swell and offshore winds – clean, but the energy is only moderate (207). It’s surfable but ordinary. The afternoon kicks up to 6ft from the SSE, still offshore, but the period drops to 7 seconds, making it a bit of a messy, short-period wall. Still worth a paddle if you’re keen.

Wednesday the 9th is a gem of a morning: 6ft from the SSE with barely a breath of wind (ESE 5 km/h). The combined energy is strong (589) and the 9-second period is decent. Those early glassy conditions will be magic. The afternoon turns into a cross-on mess, so get out early.

Thursday the 10th is for the experienced crew only. Solid 10ft from the SSE with a fresh offshore wind – clean, but that’s big for Rainbow Bay. The combined energy is very strong (1320 and 1374). This is a proper expert-only session. If you’re not comfortable in overhead, heavy surf, sit this one out.

Friday the 11th is a nice follow-up: 7ft SSE swell, moderate offshore wind in the morning, clean, and with a combined energy of 742. The period is 8 seconds, so it’s a short-period groundswell, but it’s clean and fun. The afternoon gets a cross-off breeze, but it’s still clean.

Saturday the 12th is another solid morning: 8ft from the SSE, fresh offshore wind, and clean. The energy is moderate (522) but the short period (7 seconds) means it’ll be a bit quick. The afternoon gets a cross-off breeze, but it’s still clean.

Sunday the 13th is a smaller, cleaner day: 5ft SSE swell, barely any wind, and a combined energy of 679. The 9-second period is decent. This is a good, mellow session for everyone.

After that, the surf drops off hard. From Monday the 14th all the way through the end of the 16-day window, it’s a long stretch of tiny, weak, or onshore junk. You’ll get a few 3ft days with clean offshore wind, but the energy is low (less than 200) and the period is short. It’s a blank run for quality waves. The only exception might be Wednesday the 16th morning with 5ft SSE swell and light wind, but the energy is weak (310) and the period is only 7 seconds – it’s surfable but ordinary.

So here’s the bottom line: Monday the 7th morning is your standout for the whole period. If you can only get one session, make it that one. Wednesday the 9th morning is a close second, with those glassy conditions. The rest of the first week is solid, but the second week is a long, quiet gap. Don’t get your hopes up for the second week – it’s a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more