Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at the next couple of weeks for Rainbow Bay.

Alright, look, the first week is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf from Thursday the 6th through to Wednesday the 12th. Swell energy is mostly below 350, and the wind is all over the shop, often onshore or cross-shore. It’s enough to maybe get a splash on a log, but you won’t be missing much if you give the water a miss. The ocean just doesn’t have any of that good energy you’re after.

The real story starts to kick off on Thursday the 13th. That afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the south and we see a sudden jump in swell to 10 ft from the south, but it’s a short period 8 second chop. It’s still a bit messy. But then Friday the 14th dawns with a proper change. We’re looking at a solid 12 ft south-southeast swell, and the wind is howling out of the south at 25 km/h, right offshore. That’s clean, powerful surf. The combined energy is a massive 1877, and it locks in through the afternoon with more of the same. This is where it starts to get interesting, but that size is now pushing into the big stuff – this is not beginner territory.

The standout, without a doubt, is the weekend. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August are where this forecast fires. On Saturday, we’ve got a 10 ft swell from the east-southeast with a 11 second period, so it’s got some proper groundswell heft in the water. The wind is steady offshore from the south at 20 km/h. The combined energy is a whopper at 3550 (moderate offshore and clean). That is a gorgeous, powerful line. Because Rainbow Bay is a sheltered point, this long period southeast swell will wrap around and hold up beautifully. Just be aware, with that size and the offshore winds, it’s going to be a magnet for the usual suspects. Crowds are often an issue here, so you’ll want to be on it early.

Sunday the 16th is arguably even better. Swell size holds at 12 ft, from the southeast, and the period stretches out to a beautiful 12 seconds. The wind is still solid offshore from the south at 25 km/h. The energy reading is 3872. This is expert-level surf, clean, powerful, and lined up. The water temperature feels about average for the time of year, so a spring suit is fine.

Monday the 17th keeps the run going with a 12 ft south-southeast swell and 11 second period. The wind is offshore again at 20 km/h, and the energy spikes to a massive 4758. This is the peak of the swell – very strong wave energy. It’s still epic, but the wind looks to swing cross-offshore in the afternoon, so the morning session is the pick. Tuesday the 18th sees the swell back down to 8 ft with a 10 second period, but the wind is offshore again, so there’s still plenty of fun to be had for strong surfers. The rest of the week drops off in size but holds some clean, cross-offshore conditions, perfect for a good longboard or a step-down board.

Honestly, the jewel in the crown is the Saturday the 15th through Monday the 17th. That’s the one to circle. Big, clean, offshore groundswell at a point break. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Rusty.

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