Red Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the next couple of weeks for Red Island. It’s a beach and reef setup, mostly for beginners, but it’s inconsistent and can be a bit of a fickle spot. This stretch is a mixed bag, with some real clean windows early on, but also some big, messy, and windy days that’ll have you reaching for the kite gear instead of the shortboard.

We kick off on Friday the 31st of July. The morning offers a light 3ft ESE swell with a period of 11 seconds, and a light offshore breeze from the NW keeps things clean. The combined energy is weak (254), so it’s not pumping, but it’s surfable for a learner. The afternoon though, the wind swings to the W at 25 km/h, cross-off, and the swell drops a touch. It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary.

The real standout lands on Sunday the 2nd of August. Sunday morning serves up a 8ft S swell with a period of 11 seconds, light offshore winds from the W, and the energy is solid (1811). This is an excellent wave for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and with some punch. It’s a bit much for beginners being over 5ft, but for the crew who can handle it, this is the best of the bunch. Then Sunday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, dead calm, with a 8ft SSE swell. The energy is still strong (1203), and the conditions are pristine. That afternoon session is a real treat.

Monday the 3rd of August sees the swell drop to 4ft SSE with a light offshore wind, making for a clean, fun morning. The energy is moderate (402). The afternoon gets a bit messy with a stronger cross-off wind.

The following week, starting Tuesday the 4th of August, the swell picks up significantly, but it gets lumpy and cross-shore. A 10ft S swell with 14-second period brings strong energy (4232), but the wind is SSW and messy. By Tuesday afternoon, the swell hits 12ft with a 15-second period, very long period groundswell, and the energy is huge (4632). The wind is lighter, but it’s still cross-shore, so the waves are chunky and challenging. This is for experts only with the size over 8ft.

Wednesday the 5th of August, a 7ft S swell with a 13-second period, clean morning light offshore wind, and high energy (1563). Another excellent window for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a touch of cross-on wind, but it’s still a solid wave.

The second week, from the 10th of August onward, things get messy. Massive swell, up to 18ft, with strong onshore winds from the ENE. The energy readings are off the charts (15688 peak), but the conditions are poor. The wind is cross-on, and the waves are lumpy and choppy. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The period is mostly 11-13 seconds, so it’s a groundswell, but it’s just too blown out. The combined energy is very strong, but the quality is shot.

The 14th of August sees a drop in swell to 8ft, but still with a messy cross-shore wind. The 15th, the wind is howling onshore again. It’s a rough end to the outlook.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is Sunday the 2nd of August, with the morning’s excellent conditions and the afternoon’s glassy perfection. Wednesday the 5th is also a cracker. After that, it’s a waiting game for the wind to ease. The water temperature feels about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

Rusty.

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