Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on the cards for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

First up, I gotta be straight with you: the next few days are a bit of a write-off for a good surf. The swell is there, but it’s messy and the wind is just not cooperating. It’s a real shame because there’s some serious energy in the water.

We kick off on Monday, 20 July, with a big chunky 13 ft swell from the ESE, but it’s got a 10-second period on it. The problem is that howling 22 mph SSE wind is making it a cross-off mess. The wave energy is huge, in the thousands (3004), but it’s not a joy to paddle into. It’s more of a battle. The afternoon improves a little with a 12 ft swell and a fresh offshore wind, but the tide and conditions still feel marginal.

Tuesday, 21 July, the swell drops to 7 ft in the morning, still from the E, and the wind slackens off to a moderate breeze. It’s a cross-off, so it’s clean, but the energy is down to 975. The afternoon sees 6 ft from the E with a gentle breeze, but it’s still not firing.

Wednesday, 22 July, is the first real glimmer of hope. The morning has a 5 ft swell from the E, glassy conditions with zero wind, and the wave energy is a solid 508. It’s clean, but the swell is a bit small for any real punch. The afternoon stays glassy with a 5 ft swell, but it’s very ordinary.

Thursday, 23 July, is tiny and glassy in the morning with 4 ft, and the energy is a weak 193. The afternoon is a bit better with a 3 ft swell and a gentle cross-off, but it’s still not worth paddling out for.

From Friday, 24 July, right through to Tuesday, 28 July, it’s pretty grim. The swell is small, the wind is either onshore or cross-off, and the wave energy is mostly below 300. The best of these is Saturday, 25 July, which has a glassy 3 ft swell in the morning, but it’s just not enough to get excited about.

Now, we get a bit of a rebound on Wednesday, 29 July, but it’s a poor day with onshore winds and tiny waves.

The real standout is shaping up for the end of the month. Thursday, 30 July, sees a 4 ft swell from the S in the morning, with a light cross-off breeze and a wave energy of 418. It’s clean, but it’s the Friday, 31 July afternoon that’s the pick of the whole forecast. The swell is 5 ft from the SE, with a 14-second period, which is a nice long groundswell. The wind is a moderate 12 mph offshore from the SSW, so it’s going to be clean and lined up. The wave energy is a strong 1194. This is a good one for Rainbow Bay’s point setup, as that long period will wrap in nicely.

Then we roll into the start of August. Saturday, 1 August, has a 7 ft swell from the SSE in the morning, with a good offshore wind, and energy of 900. That’s a solid, clean day, but it’s a bit big for beginners. The afternoon stays similar.

Sunday, 2 August, is still surfable, but the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph, which will make it a bit bumpy.

Monday, 3 August, brings a 6 ft swell from the S with a 11-second period, and the energy is a very strong 1339, but the wind is cross-off, so it’s not as clean as the previous days.

The forecast ends on Tuesday, 4 August, with a 4 ft swell and a gentle breeze, which is pretty ordinary.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf on offer is the Friday, 31 July afternoon, with that 5 ft SE groundswell and clean offshore wind. The second best is the Saturday, 1 August morning, with a 7 ft SSE swell and offshore winds. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a 5mm, but a decent spring suit is fine.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because things can change.

Rusty.

Read more