Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Shark Island (Cronulla) over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. We’ve got a bit of waiting to do. The first good news doesn’t really show up until Friday the 24th of July, so we’re looking at a few days of pretty ordinary or flat conditions before that.

Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off. There’s a tiny bit of swell around 3ft from the ENE, but it’s messy and the wind is all wrong. The water temperature is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much where you’d expect it to be for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Thursday the 23rd is even worse. Swell drops below 3ft, and the morning is still a bit messy. The afternoon sees a strong offshore wind from the WSW at 18 mph, which cleans things up, but with only 2ft of swell, you’re basically just bobbing around.

Friday the 24th is where we start to see a pulse. The morning brings a clean 5ft swell from the south with a gentle offshore wind from the SW. The combined wave energy is moderate at 357, and it’s looking like the best session of the week so far. The afternoon turns a bit sloppy with a light cross-onshore, so get out early.

Saturday the 25th morning has a solid 5ft from the south, but it’s a bit lumpy for a reef. The afternoon cleans right up with a glassy offshore from the SW at only 3 mph. That’s a nice window, but the swell is just on the edge of being a bit too big for a beginner.

Sunday the 26th is the true standout. The morning session delivers a clean 5ft southern swell with a light offshore wind, and the energy is pumping at 510. This is the pick of the first week. It’s a reef break, so you’ll get proper lines, and with a period of 11 seconds, it’s got some grunt. The water is still about average for the time of year. Crowds are *sometimes* an issue here, so expect a few others on it.

From Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 30th, the swell drops away significantly. You’re looking at tiny waves, poor conditions, and a lot of onshore wind. There’s a period of about four days here where it’s just not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are a mess. The swell is either too small or too onshore, and the wind is howling from the east. Not great.

Saturday the 1st of August gets a bit of a bump, with 7ft from the SE, but it’s a short period windswell and the wind is pumping onshore. That’s a choppy, blown-out mess. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 2nd of August starts to clean up again. The afternoon has a 2ft swell from the SSE with a clean offshore wind. It’s small, but it’s rideable.

Monday the 3rd of August is similar. A small, clean swell from the SE with a 14-second period (very long period), but it’s only 2ft. That long period will make it a bit fat and straight at the reef, but you might get a sneaky one.

Now, hold onto your boards. Tuesday the 4th of August is a big one. The morning sees a massive 13ft swell from the south with a 12-second period. The combined energy is absolutely pumping at 4211. But the wind is a cross-shore, and it’s going to be messy. The afternoon gets even bigger, with 21ft swell and a wind that’s cross-on. This is way too big for this reef – it’s going to be a washing machine. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s a big call.

Wednesday the 5th of August is still massive, with 20ft to 21ft swells, but the wind turns cross-off from the west at 18 mph. The wave energy is over 20,000. It’s clean for a monster swell, but again, this is for experts only. The period is 13 seconds, so it’s a groundswell with a lot of power.

Thursday the 6th of August sees the swell drop back to a still-hefty 15ft from the SSE. It’s clean, but still massive. The energy is nearly 10,000. It’s a bit smaller than the day before, but still a serious session.

So, the best bet for the average surfer is Sunday the 26th of July morning. For the chargers, Wednesday the 5th of August offers the biggest, cleanest swell of the whole run, but it’s a huge risk.

Rusty.

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