Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at a solid little window of opportunity for us here at Rainbow Bay. The southeast swell is going to be pumping in from a good direction, and we’ve got a stretch of clean, offshore winds to start. It’s not going to be a perfect two-week run, but there’s one standout that’s got me pretty excited.

Saturday morning, the 25th of July, kicks things off with a clean 3ft southeast swell, period way up at 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, and with a gentle offshore breeze it’s going to be peeling nicely. The combined energy is moderate (720), but the wind is light and offshore, so it’ll be glassy and fun. The afternoon gets a little cross-shore, so the morning is the pick.

Sunday the 26th is a bit smaller, around 3ft, still clean, but the energy drops off (232). Monday the 27th sees a little bump in size to 4ft, with a clean offshore wind again, but the period is shorter (10 seconds) so it’s more ordinary. Tuesday the 28th is small and clean, but nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a real flat spell. From Wednesday the 29th through to the end of the first week of August, it’s tiny. Waves drop below 2ft, combined energy falls into the weak zone (33 to 99), and the conditions are poor. There’s a few days of moderate offshore wind on the 30th and 31st of July, with a bump in size – 6ft to 7ft – but the period is short (6 to 7 seconds) and the energy is moderate (276 to 490). It’s surfable, but lumpy, and the short period makes it a bit of a mess. Honestly, for the kite surfers out there, that Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st afternoon with 6ft and offshore wind could be a better bet for you than a paddle.

The second week of August is a write-off. Monday the 3rd to Friday the 7th is all poor surf, tiny waves, and weak energy. It’s a long gap of disappointing conditions.

But hang on. Look at Sunday the 9th of August. That’s the one. The only true standout in the whole outlook. We’re looking at a 6ft swell from the southeast, but the period jumps to 13 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell. The combined energy is massive (1946), strong to very strong, and the wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping it clean. This is the best session on offer. It’s bigger than 5ft, so it might be a bit much for beginners, but for everyone else, that’s going to be a day to remember. It’s a point break, so that long period will wrap in beautifully and give you some long, fast rides. Crowds are often a factor here, but on a Sunday with that much swell, expect a few friends out.

So, to sum it up: Saturday the 25th morning is your early-week fun session. The real ace in the hole is Sunday the 9th of August. The rest of the time is a mix of weak, small surf or short-period junk. Keep your eyes on that Sunday.

Rusty.

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