Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a real standout building towards the end of the month and into August.

Right now, Sunday the 19th of July is a no-go. We’ve got a big 16ft swell rolling in from the SE, but with a screaming 40 km/h offshore wind, it’s just too gnarly to paddle into. The combined energy is massive at 5950, but it’s one for the hardcore tow-in crew only, if that. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The drop down through Monday and Tuesday sees the swell ease but still holds some size. Monday morning has 13ft SE swell with a fresh cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean but still a handful. Tuesday morning drops to 8ft from the ESE, and the wind is backing off. The energy is still moderate (1352), and it’s surfable for the experienced.

Now, Wednesday the 22nd of July is where it gets interesting. The morning is a beauty for Rainbow Bay. We’ve got 6ft of E swell, period at 9 seconds, and it’s glassy – absolute glass. The wind is a whisper, and the combined energy is 562. This is a clean, fun little window for a point break like this. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a light cross-on, so hit the dawn patrol.

The rest of the week into the weekend is small and ordinary. We’re looking at 3ft to 6ft stuff, mostly with clean winds but weak energy. The combined energy drops into the 100-300 range, so it’s weak. Nothing to get excited about.

Then there’s a gap. From around the 28th of July through to the 30th, it’s pretty much flat and poor. Small onshore slop, energy barely breaking 100. A couple of days of nothing.

But hold on. The real standout is coming. On Friday the 31st of July, we see a pulse of long period groundswell. The morning has 3ft from the SSE with a 16-second period and a light offshore. The energy jumps to 452. That’s a very long period, so it’ll wrap in nicely at Rainbow Bay, though it might be a bit too straight for the beach, it’s perfect for this point. The afternoon gets glassy again with 8ft from the SE, energy at 697. That’s a solid session.

But the best of the best is Saturday the 1st of August. The morning has 10ft of SE swell, period 8 seconds, with a light offshore. The combined energy is 1468 – strong. The wind is light, clean, and it’s a proper expert-level day. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Afternoon drops to 8ft but still very good.

The following Sunday and Monday hold decent, clean 5ft to 6ft swells with moderate offshore winds, keeping it rideable but not as epic as that Saturday.

So, overall, the first week is a slow burn with a few clean windows. The second week is quiet until the 31st of July, then boom. The absolute standout is Saturday the 1st of August – big, clean, and powerful. Get on it.

Rusty.

Read more