Rye Ocean Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Rye Ocean Beach. We’ve got a bit of a rough patch ahead, but there’s a few windows that might just get you wet.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The first week is a write-off, honestly. From Wednesday afternoon the 22nd through to the end of the month, the wind is just destroying everything. It’s a full-on run of poor conditions with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, messy surf. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate at best, with values climbing from 545 up into the thousands, but the wind just won’t let up. We’ve got a solid SW groundswell pushing through, with heights up to 13 ft and periods out to 15 seconds, but it’s all blown out. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might look interesting, but for a paddle, it’s a no-go.

We finally get a break on Tuesday morning the 28th. The wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the NNW, and the swell is a hefty 8 ft from the SW with a period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 3355. The notes say the wind and tide are favorable, but honestly, the swell is too big for this break – it’s a beginner spot, so that’s only for experienced heads. The same goes for Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday the 29th: clean conditions but still too big for most.

The real standout, the one worth pointing a board at, is Thursday afternoon the 30th of July. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the ESE at 9 mph, the swell is a manageable 5 ft from the SW with a period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 878. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is clean, the swell direction is dead-on from the optimum SW, and the crowd situation says “sometimes” – so expect a few locals out, but it’s not a circus. This is the best on offer in the whole window.

Friday morning the 31st has a tiny 4 ft swell with a light offshore from the N, but it’s weak energy (349). It’s clean, but small. Saturday the 1st of August is a bit bigger at 4 ft but with a very long 17-second period, which is a groundswell, and the combined energy is moderate at 1038. The wind is cross-offshore from the N, so it’s clean, but that long period might make it a bit straight at the beach. It’s marginal, but if you’re keen, it’s a goer.

After that, from Sunday the 2nd of August onward, the wind turns back onshore, and we’re back into poor surf conditions with cross-onshore winds and lumpy, messy waves. That’s it for the 16 days. The gap between the first decent surf on the 28th and the next bump is only a couple of days, but then it falls off a cliff again. Stay patient, and if you’re keen, hit Thursday the 30th.

Rusty.

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