Seaside Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a pretty drawn-out run of small, pretty average surf. There’s no standout, firing day in the near future, but if you’re patient, the very back end of the period might finally offer something a little more interesting. Right now, the ocean is feeling small and a bit sleepy.

First up, the only real game in town is Seaside Reef (Seaside-Reef) – it’s an advanced reef break that’s inconsistent and often has crowds. The water's sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 69°F.

Let’s kick off from this morning, Sunday the 5th of July. We’ve got a small 3 ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 18 second period. The combined wave energy is weak at 506. Winds are light offshore, so the surface should be clean, but there’s just not enough push. The score is low – it’s a bit of a waiting game if you’re a beginner, though for an advanced surfer on a longboard, it might be fun. The afternoon drops even more to 2 ft. Monday the 6th is more of the same – 3 ft in the morning, 2 ft in the afternoon – with the period dropping slightly but still clean with offshore winds. The energy stays weak (448–528). Tuesday the 7th sees a tiny bump in size to 3 ft with a light cross-onshore breeze. The consistent theme here is marginal surf.

From Wednesday the 8th right through to Saturday the 11th, we are stuck in a rut. Swell hangs around 3 ft to 4 ft, period dropping into the 15-16 second range, and winds turn cross-onshore from the SW. The energy is moderate (391–919) but the quality is poor – it’s going to be choppy and bumpy. Kite surfers might find the setup more interesting than us paddle surfers on the beach. The whole stretch from the 8th to the 18th is a series of poor to marginal days as the swell trends down.

By Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th, the swell bottoms out at 2 ft–3 ft with the period shortening. The energy drops to 344–396. There’s a window of clean morning offshore on Monday the 13th with WNW winds, but it’s really small stuff.

We then go through a real flat spell from the 14th to the 16th of July. Tuesday the 14th is only 2 ft–2 ft, and by Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th, it’s down to a pathetic 1 ft with energy as low as 158. Not worth getting wet for unless you’re desperate.

Now for the light at the end of the tunnel. Friday the 17th is still small, but we start seeing a glimmer with a 2 ft, 19-second groundswell that might provide some clean lines on the reef. Strongest sign is on Saturday the 18th when we get a jump in swell to 3 ft with a 17-second period and combined energy of 651 – still marginal but the period is notable. Then Sunday the 19th bumps up to 4 ft from the S with an even stronger 17-second period on the afternoon session (energy of 856). Winds are light and cross-onshore, so there could be a few clean waves for the more experienced crew if the tide lines up.

Finally, the standout of the entire outlook is shaping up for Monday the 20th of July. That morning shows 4 ft SSW groundswell at 14 seconds, and by the afternoon it’s up to 5 ft from the SSW with a 15-second period and combined moderate wave energy of 969. The wind is offshore in the afternoon (WSW), so it should be clean with a little push. This is the best on offer – it's still not huge, but for this extended flat spell, it’s going to be the best chance for a proper wave. Keep in mind, this is over a week and a half away, so treat that one as promising but not locked in.

Overall, don't expect much this week. The best window is late next week and into the following weekend, with Monday the 20th as the pick. The setup at a reef like Seaside Reef handles a long period well – so that slight uptick might actually give some nice shaped waves. But be prepared for crowds.

Rusty.

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