Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Rainbow Bay.

The 16-day window starts off pretty flat for a few days, but we’ve got a solid run of decent surf building from the 31st of July into the first week of August. The standout has to be the Sunday the 2nd of August: we’re looking at a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a 9-second period pushing moderate wave energy (588) in the morning. The wind is light offshore from the south, so the bay will be clean and glassy early. That’s the pick of the week.

The water temperature is sitting at 69°, which is right on the money for the time of year – no surprises there.

The best stretch kicks off on the morning of Friday the 31st of July. The swell builds to 5ft from the SSE, with a 9-second period and moderate energy (403). The wind is offshore and moderate, so expect clean, fun waves. The afternoon drops off fast, so get out early.

Saturday the 1st of August is surfable but ordinary – the 4ft to 5ft SSE swell is there, but the rain showers and moderate wind keep it from being really clean. Not a write-off, but not a standout.

Sunday the 2nd of August is the real gem. The morning is clear, SSE swell at 5ft, 9-second period, and light offshore wind. The combined energy climbs to 588 in the morning and 660 in the afternoon. This is the best day of the entire window. The afternoon gets a bit of rain, but the wind turns cross-off and the waves stay clean.

Monday the 3rd of August keeps the run going. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the SE, with a 10-second period and strong energy (592). The wind is light offshore, so it’s clean. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still with a good 10-second period and moderate energy (473). The wind turns cross-off, but it’s still clean.

After Monday, the surf drops off quickly. Tuesday the 4th of August is small and choppy, with poor conditions. The rest of the week into early August is mostly small, weak, and often choppy or cross-onshore. There’s a brief glimmer of glassy conditions on the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August, but the swell is only 3ft from the east, so it’s ordinary.

The second week of August looks shaky. The swell direction swings more easterly, and the period gets longer (11-13 seconds) but the energy is moderate and the winds are mostly cross or onshore. There’s a chance of a clean session on the morning of Friday the 14th of August, with a glassy 3ft ESE swell at 11 seconds, but it’s nothing special. The long period and easterly direction might make the waves a bit too straight for the bay, so it’s not a guarantee.

Crowds are likely at Rainbow Bay, especially on the good days. It’s a popular spot, but the decent swell and clean conditions will be worth the company.

The best surf is definitely the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August. The overall pattern is a short burst of quality from the 31st of July to the 3rd of August, then a long flat spell with only small, ordinary waves.

Rusty out.

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