Red Strand (Dirk Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s break down what’s happening at Red Strand (Dirk Bay).

We’re looking at a pretty quiet run for the next two and a half weeks. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there. The first big thing you’ll notice is that there’s nothing worth paddling out for right now. We’ve got a solid stretch of very small surf with hardly any energy, and the wind is mostly cross-on or cross. That means conditions are poor, and the scores are a zero across the board for the first several days. The break is a sheltered reef, so it doesn’t grab much swell to begin with, and unfortunately, that’s showing.

The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t pop up until Sunday the 12th of July afternoon. That’s a solid week of waiting. There’s a shift with a 4 ft swell from the east, but the period is a tiny 5 seconds – that’s wind swell, short and choppy. Combined energy is moderate (175), but the wind is cross, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy affair. Not really a standout, but it’s the first sign of change.

Monday the 13th of July morning bumps up a touch to 4 ft from the east, but again, period is only 6 seconds, and the wind is fresh cross-shore. That’s going to be lumpy and hard to enjoy. The energy is a touch stronger (196), but still, it’s not clean.

The real standout, and honestly the only decent window in the whole 16 days, is Tuesday the 14th of July morning. Swell settles to 1 ft from the SSW, but look at that period – 18 seconds! That’s proper groundswell, even if it’s small. The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 22 mph, which keeps it clean. The energy is moderate (114). For a sheltered reef like Red Strand, that long period will wrap in nicely, and the clean conditions mean it’ll be glassy and workable. If you’re an experienced surfer, this is the morning to go. Crowds are only sometimes an issue here, so you might get a few waves to yourself.

Thursday the 16th of July brings a bit more size, with 4 ft from the SSW in the afternoon, but the period drops back to 6 seconds – that’s short, wind-affected stuff. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but the wave quality won’t be there. It’s a pass for me.

After that, it’s back to small, inconsistent, and mostly cross-shore or onshore winds through until the 20th and 21st of July. There’s a little bump on the 20th with 3 ft to 4 ft from the WSW, but periods are 4 to 7 seconds, and the wind is cross. It’s a no-go for a proper surf.

So, the short story: the first week is a write-off. The best chance you’ve got is Tuesday the 14th of July morning for a clean, small but long-period session. Everything else is either too small, too short-period, or too messy. Keep an eye on the forecast, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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