Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Rainbow Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a few days of surfable waves, but it’s not until Monday the 3rd that things really start to clean up. The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Saturday the 1st is a bit of a mixed bag. Morning sees a modest 3ft SSE swell at 10 seconds, with a clean 12 mph offshore wind, so the lines will be tidy. The combined energy is moderate at 317, so there’s a bit of push. By the afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the SSE, period drops to 9 seconds, and the wind stays offshore. The energy jumps to 434, which is solid. It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Sunday the 2nd is similar: morning brings 5ft SSE swell with a gentle 9 mph offshore, energy at 504. Afternoon sees a shift to a cross-offshore breeze from the SE, with 5ft SSE swell and energy climbing to 532. Conditions are clean, but again, not firing.

Now, Monday the 3rd is where it gets interesting. The morning is glassy – zero wind – with a 5ft SE groundswell at 10 seconds. That’s a long period, so expect good-shaped waves with some power, and the energy is strong at 554. This is a genuine highlight. The point setup at Rainbow Bay is perfect for this kind of swell, and with glassy conditions, it’s going to be smooth as butter. The afternoon sees a cross-onshore breeze kick in, so the morning is the pick.

After that, we hit a dry spell. From Tuesday the 4th right through to Wednesday the 12th, the surf drops right off. Most days are under 3ft, with weak energy (often under 200), and the wind is mostly onshore, glassy but tiny, or cross-offshore with no real swell. It’s a long gap of about 9 days where the surf is flat to poor. Not much to get excited about.

Then, on Thursday the 13th, we get a pulse. The morning brings a 7ft S swell at 8 seconds, with a clean 6 mph offshore wind. The energy is strong at 638. That’s a solid size, but the short period (8 seconds) means it’ll be a bit choppy and less organised. It’s still a decent wave for experienced surfers, though beginners might find it too big and messy. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 8ft from the SSE, energy at 911, wind cross-offshore. That’s powerful, but again, the short period means it’s not the cleanest.

Friday the 14th is a step down: 5ft and 4ft from the SSE, with moderate offshore winds, but the energy is moderate (308 and 266). It’s surfable, but nothing special.

Now, Sunday the 16th is a late standout, but it’s a long way out. The morning shows an 8ft SSE swell at 8 seconds, with a cross-offshore wind and energy rocketing to 1186. That’s very strong energy. The afternoon is similar at 8ft, energy at 1229. This is big, powerful surf, but with that short period, it’s going to be a wild, lumpy day. Only for experts. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the size and period mean it’s more of a challenge than a cruise. Given it’s over a week away, keep an eye on it, but don’t book your flights yet.

The real standout is Monday the 3rd morning – glassy, 5ft SE groundswell, perfect for Rainbow Bay. That’s your best bet.

Righto, Rusty out.

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