Red Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for Red Island over the next few weeks.

First off, the water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. The outlook starts off pretty quiet. Wednesday the 22nd morning actually has some clean 3ft swell from the S with a 12-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the WNW, so conditions are glassy. It’s a bit inconsistent and the energy is moderate (317), but it’s a decent window for a beginner-friendly wave. The wind goes crossshore in the arvo though, so get in early.

Then we hit a real dry spell. From Thursday the 23rd right through until Saturday the 26th, the waves are tiny, weak, or blown out. Sunday the 26th morning sees a jump in size to 7ft from the S, but the wind is cross and the energy is strong (1363). The comment says marginal, and the period is short at 8 seconds, so shape won't be great. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th? Forget it. We’re looking at big, messy, wind-affected swell – 13ft to 16ft with near gale force winds. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine. The energy is massive (4671 and 8878), but the conditions are terrible. This is purely for the crazies or maybe kite surfers.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 29th morning is a standout. You’ve got an 8ft ESE groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and the wind is glassy – dead calm from the WNW. The energy is very strong (2173), and the report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is big, clean, and powerful. For experienced surfers only, as it’s over 8ft. The long period will make it setty, and it’s a beach and reef setup, so the reef may offer a better line. Crowds are possible though.

Thursday the 30th morning is another big one, 10ft from the ESE at 13 seconds, with clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is huge (2815), but it’s a solid 10ft, so again, experts only. The wind picks up in the arvo, so it’s a dawn patrol mission.

Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are messy, with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The swell drops a bit, but the quality is poor.

The next real window is Sunday the 2nd of August morning. The swell drops to 4ft from the ESE, with a 12-second period and light cross-offshore wind. The energy is moderate (578), and the report says "expect good surf conditions." This is a much more manageable size for a wider range of surfers, and the conditions will be clean. A solid, fun option.

Monday the 3rd of August morning is similar, with 3ft ESE swell and clean conditions, but smaller. Then Tuesday the 4th is tiny.

But the real highlight of the whole forecast is Wednesday the 5th of August. Wednesday morning has 4ft from the S with a very long 17-second period. The wind is offshore from the NW, and the energy is strong (1102). The report says "expect very good surf conditions." The arvo is even better: 5ft from the S at 16 seconds, with light cross-offshore wind and "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is clean, lined-up groundswell.

Then Thursday the 6th of August is the biggest of the second week. A massive 12ft from the S with a 13-second period, offshore wind from the NNW, and energy through the roof (6087). The report calls it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers". This is a serious, big-wave day for experts only.

So, the two true standouts are Wednesday the 29th of July morning for a clean, powerful expert session, and the whole of Wednesday the 5th of August for the best all-round groundswell with clean conditions. For the less experienced, Sunday the 2nd of August morning is the best bet.

Rusty.

Read more