Right and Left Side Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Right off the bat, I’ll be honest with you – the next couple of weeks look pretty quiet for Right and Left Side. This is a reef break that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and we’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak swell with lousy wind. The water’s sitting at a warm 84°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there.

From Wednesday the 15th right through to Monday the 27th of July, it’s a real struggle. We’re stuck with wave heights mostly between 1ft and 2ft, and the combined energy of all swells directed here is weak – often below 100 (like 67, 46, 28). The wind is cross or cross-on from the SW and WSW at 12 to 16 mph, so the surface is chopped up and messy. There’s a couple of mornings on the 20th and 23rd where it goes clean with a light offshore from the SSE or SE, but the swell is simply too small and weak to do anything with. It’s just a flat spell, plain and simple.

The one bright spot – and I mean the only one – comes right at the end of the forecast. On Tuesday the 28th of July, the swell starts to build a little. By the afternoon, we’ve got 2ft from the east with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 209 (moderate). The wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the south at 9 mph, so it’s clean. It’s still small, but it’s a glimmer.

Then, Wednesday the 29th of July is the standout. Morning session is the pick: glassy conditions with the wind swinging light from the NW, and the swell jumps to 4ft from the east-northeast with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s real groundswell energy – the combined energy reading is 1267, which is strong. This is a reef break, and that long period stuff will groom nicely over the reef, giving you proper, well-shaped waves. The water is still 84°, about average for the time of year. Now, 4ft sounds small, but with that period and glassy conditions, it’ll be way better than the numbers suggest. That said, it’s a long-range call, so don’t bet the house on it yet. The afternoon sees the wind go onshore, and the swell gets a bit bigger at 5ft, but the quality drops.

Thursday the 30th of July sees the swell peak at 5ft to 6ft from the east-northeast, with periods still around 15 to 16 seconds. The combined energy is massive – 1325 to 1630. But the wind is onshore from the NW and NNW at 6 mph, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy. This is solid, powerful swell, but the wind is a problem. The morning is cleaner than the afternoon, but it's not the glassy perfection of Wednesday morning.

So, if you’re keen, aim for the morning of Wednesday the 29th of July. That’s the one window where it all comes together. The rest of the run is a write-off, but that one morning has potential.

- Rusty

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