Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Saint Annes and, to be honest, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first real surf I can see is a long way off, and even then it’s not shouting “get in the car.” Let’s break it down.

We’re starting with a gap. From Wednesday, the 22nd of July, right through to the morning of Monday, the 27th of July, it’s a write-off. The swell is there, but the wind is a mess – cross-shore and cross-onshore all the way, with the combined energy of all swells directed here hovering between 357 and 1187 (moderate energy). The waves are mushy, chopped up, and the conditions are just poor. Don’t bother.

Things start to look a little more interesting on Monday afternoon, the 27th of July. We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the SSW at 19 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell, which Saint Annes, as a sheltered reef break, should handle well. The wind is a light cross-onshore from the W at 6 mph, with some small wind ripples, but it’s not too bad. The combined energy is up to 1760 (strong), and the score is a 2 out of 10. It’s marginal, but it’s the best we’ve got in the early part. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.

Tuesday, the 28th, holds a similar story. Morning sees a 4 ft SSW swell at 18 seconds with a light cross-onshore, strong energy (1205). The afternoon bumps up to 4 ft at 17 seconds, with a cross-shore wind and even stronger energy (1792). Still marginal, but it’s surfable.

Now, if you’re looking for a standout, I’d point you to the early morning of Friday, the 31st of July. This is the only window in the entire forecast with a clean, offshore wind. We’ve got a 3 ft swell from the SSW at 14 seconds, with a light onshore breeze from the SW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 437 (moderate). It’s small, but for a reef break that’s sheltered and gets a bit of a pulse, clean conditions with that long period will make it look a lot better than the size suggests. That’s your best chance for a glassy session, no crowds mentioned, but it’s a short window.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From Saturday, the 1st of August, through to Thursday, the 6th, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell stays small (2 ft to 5 ft) and mostly from the WNW with short periods (6 to 10 seconds), and the wind is either cross-shore or cross-onshore. The energy is weak to moderate (154 to 362). The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

So, to sum it up: don’t hold your breath for the first week. Monday the 27th afternoon is your first real chance, but it’s marginal. The standout is the clean morning of Friday the 31st of July. After that, it’s quiet again. The reef is consistent, but the conditions are fighting it. It’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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