Redhead Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—if you’re chasing waves at Redhead over the next couple of weeks, you’re gonna need a whole lot of patience. We’re looking at a real dry spell to kick things off, with barely a ripple worth mentioning for the first several days. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so suit up if you’re heading out.

The first week is a write-off. From the 11th through to the 16th, we’ve got tiny, weak swell—nothing over 3 ft—and the wind’s all over the shop, mostly cross-off or cross-on. It’s clean-ish at times, but there’s just no push. The energy’s weak, with readings down in the teens and twenties. You’d be surfing whitewash if you’re lucky. The 16th afternoon sees a slight bump to 3 ft, but it’s onshore and messy. Not worth the drive.

Then things get a bit chunky, but not in a good way. From the 17th through the 19th, the swell picks up to 5 ft to 6 ft, all short-period windswell from the ESE, with the energy jumping into the 200s and 300s. But the wind is blowing cross-on and choppy, making it a proper mess. There is a window on the morning of the 19th—glass conditions with a bit of a storm risk—and the 6 ft swell has some push, but it’s still that short-period stuff, so it’ll be lumpy and hard to handle, especially for beginners. This is more of a “if you’re desperate” paddle than a “get excited” one.

The 20th and 21st see the swell jump again—up to 8 ft—with energy readings in the 800s to 900s, which is strong for this spot. But it’s still from the ESE with light cross-on winds, and the period is just 9 seconds. It’s going to be a washing machine out there. Big, crumbly, and messy. Only for the experienced crew, and even then, it’s not pretty.

The 22nd drops back a bit to 5 ft, but the wind is still cross-on and it’s pretty ordinary. Then, finally, on the morning of the 23rd, we get a glimpse of what could be. Glassy conditions, calm wind, and a 5 ft swell from the ESE with a bit more energy (349). That’s the pick of the bunch for the whole period, but it’s only a brief window before the wind swings around and chops it up in the arvo. It’s a dawny if you’re keen.

After that, the swell fades back down to 3 ft and smaller, and while we get some offshore breezes on the 24th and 25th, the size just isn’t there. Those mornings will be clean and fun for a longboard, but not much else.

So, to sum it up: the standout is clearly the morning of the 23rd—glassy, clean, and a decent 5 ft from the ESE, but you gotta be there early. The 19th morning has a bit of size but the period is short. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too big and lumpy. If you’re a beginner, stay well away from anything over 5 ft, which is most of the second week. And honestly, a lot of this setup looks more like it’d be fun for kiting than paddling. Patience, mates. This one’s a test.

Rusty.

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