Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks. I’ll tell you straight – this isn’t a classic run, but there are a few windows where things line up nicely.

The overall pattern starts off average, dips into some bigger, bumpy stuff mid-period, then fades to small and clean. First up, the best bet of the whole outlook lands on Friday morning, 14th of August. That morning is where it’s at. We’ve got a clean 6 ft S swell rolling in, with a gentle offshore wind from the south blowing at 9 mph. That’s the good stuff – clean faces and not too much crowd hassle, though it can get busy here sometimes. The water is sitting at 69°F, which is just about normal for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there. Combined wave energy is moderate at 744, and with a period of 8 seconds, it’s a decent short-period swell that’ll wrap nicely into this sheltered point.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th hold surfable waves, but they’re ordinary. Saturday morning has 4 ft SSE swell with a moderate offshore breeze, same vibe Saturday afternoon with rain showers and 4 ft. Sunday bumps up to 6 ft SSE, but the period drops to 7 seconds – a bit mushy and less organised. Still clean enough, but nothing special.

Then from Monday the 17th through Tuesday the 18th, the swell pushes up over 7 ft from the SE and ESE. That’s getting solid – combined energy hits 594 to 689, moderate energy – but the wind is cross-offshore and pretty fresh at 12 to 19 mph. The surf gets chunky and a bit messy. For experienced surfers only at that size, especially with short 8-second periods and a cross-off wind that can make things tricky. Beginners should sit this one out.

After that, from Wednesday the 19th through the end of the week, the swell drops back to around 4 ft to 4 ft. Winds stay light and often offshore in the mornings, which keeps the surface clean. But the energy is low – combined energy falls to around 276 to 342 – and the conditions are just ordinary, not great. On Friday the 21st, there’s a glassy morning with 4 ft ENE swell, but it’s a cross-offshore wind and not really doing much.

The last week from the 22nd of August onward sees the swell shrink to under 3 ft, mostly from the ENE or S. Combined energy drops below 200, even down to 43 by the 27th. Winds are light, with a few glassy moments on the 23rd and the 25th mornings, but the waves are tiny and weak. The 28th of August offers a bit of hope – Friday afternoon shows a clean 4 ft SSE swell with a cross-off breeze and moderate energy of 356. Worth a look if you’re desperate for a paddle, but it’s not a standout.

So, one true standout: Friday morning, 14th of August. That’s the session to pencil in. The rest is average to poor, with a big lull from about the 22nd to the 27th where there’s really nothing worth chasing. Don’t hold your breath for the second week. If you’re flexible, that Friday morning is your only real shot at something tasty.

Rusty.

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