Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into this one.

The next two weeks look like a bit of a mixed bag for Rainbow Bay. We’ve got some decent energy coming through, but it’s not a straight-forward run of perfect waves. There’s a promising pulse of swell early on, then a lull, followed by a long-range groundswell that might just be the pick of the period.

The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year – nothing wild there.

The real action kicks off on Sunday, August 2nd. The morning session is the standout. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 9 seconds, and it’s glassy offshore wind from the SSE at 10 km/h. The combined energy is moderate at 544, so there’s some push. This is your best bet for clean, lined-up waves at the point. The afternoon holds up okay with a slight drop to 5ft, but the wind swings cross-offshore, so it’s still very surfable.

Monday, August 3rd, is another strong contender. The morning brings a clean 5ft swell from the SE with a 10-second period and light offshore winds. The energy is even higher at 559. This is the other session to really aim for. The afternoon, though, gets a bit messy with a cross-shore wind.

After that, it drops right off. From Tuesday the 4th through to the 11th, we’re looking at mushy, weak surf. Tuesday morning has a tiny 3ft swell with onshore wind – not worth paddling out for. The energy drops to 152 (very weak). The rest of the week is a slog of small, junky waves with poor conditions. There’s a brief glimmer on Wednesday the 5th with a 3ft swell and glassy conditions in the morning, but the energy is still low at 194, so it’s just a small, ordinary wave.

Now, the real late-period interest comes in on Thursday, August 13th. The afternoon session shows a 4ft swell from the ESE with a 12-second period and clean cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 526 – a solid moderate pulse. This is a long-period groundswell, so it’ll have good shape and power, especially on a point like Rainbow Bay. It’s a promising option, but it’s a long way out, so don’t lock it in just yet.

Friday, August 14th, also has a glassy morning with 3ft from the ESE, but the energy is a bit lower at 444. The afternoon gets messy again.

Overall, the best window is Sunday and Monday mornings. For the second week, keep an eye on Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th, but treat them as a potential score rather than a certainty.

Rusty.

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