Rainbow Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Rainbow Bay. This is a classic point break, sheltered from the main swell, so it needs the right angle to get going. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start with no real standouts in the first few days. Friday the 31st offers some small 4ft S swell, but the wind is a moderate 12 mph offshore, so it’s clean enough for a beginner to have a splash. The energy is weak (318), so don’t expect much push. Saturday morning the 1st of August sees a similar 4ft SSE swell, but the energy creeps up to 273, and the offshore wind holds. It’s surfable but ordinary. Saturday afternoon brings a rain shower, a bump in size to 6ft SSE, and energy jumping to 532, but the wind goes cross-off, and the conditions are only marginal. Not worth getting excited about.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August is where things start to look better. The morning has a clean 5ft SSE swell with a gentle offshore 9 mph wind. The energy is solid at 675, and the expectation is for good surf. The afternoon keeps the same vibe with 4ft and a gentle offshore. This is a solid option for the weekend. Monday the 3rd of August is arguably the best of this first week. The morning delivers 5ft SE swell, glassy conditions with a light offshore breeze, and energy at 581. The period is 10 seconds, giving it some shape. It’s clean, consistent, and the best on offer for the early part of the outlook.

After that, the window goes quiet from Tuesday the 4th through to Friday the 7th. The swell drops below 3ft, the wind goes cross-onshore, and the energy falls into the weak 100-200 range. There’s a small window on Thursday morning the 6th with 3ft SSE and clean conditions, but it’s really only for the longboard or a very small wave board.

The next real standout shows up a week later on Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning brings 5ft SSE swell with a cross-off 12 mph wind, energy at 414, and good conditions expected. But the afternoon is the pick: 5ft SSE swell, glassy, with energy jumping to 733. That’s a moderate energy pulse, and glassy conditions on a point break are a rare treat. This is the highlight of the whole outlook.

Thursday the 13th of August also has some promise. The morning has 4ft ESE swell with a longer 12-second period, moderate offshore wind, and energy at 690. It’ll be clean and have some power. The afternoon gets bigger to 7ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds, and the wind freshens to 19 mph offshore. That’s a lot of wind; it’s only for experienced surfers as it’s over 5ft.

The final day, Saturday the 15th of August, has a 4ft ESE swell with a long 13-second period, offshore wind, and energy at 539. It’s a good option for the long-range call, but with the period that long, the point will handle it well, though it might be a bit fat at times.

Overall, the best wave to get wet on is Monday the 3rd of August for the clean conditions and solid 5ft, and the absolute standout is the glassy session on Wednesday the 12th of August in the afternoon. Don’t forget the weekday crowds are possible at Rainbow Bay, especially on the good days.

Rusty.

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