Shark Island (Cronulla) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that’ll have you reaching for your board.

We start off on Monday the 20th of July with a bit of energy building. The morning session is looking the best of the early days. You’ve got a solid 6ft swell rolling in from the ENE, with a period of 11 seconds, giving it some decent grunt. The combined energy is moderate at 778, and the wind is light from the WNW, blowing cross-off, which will keep the surface clean. The water temp is sitting at 63°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The standout here is Shark Island (Cronulla). This reef break handles the direction well, and with those clean conditions, the morning of the 20th is the pick of the first week. Mind you, it’s an advanced spot, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.

The pattern then drops off for a few days. Tuesday and Wednesday see the swell back right off, with heights dropping to 3ft or less. The wind on Wednesday afternoon turns glassy, which is a rare treat, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. Thursday is a write-off with a strong WSW breeze, and the swell is tiny.

Then we get a bit of a lift on Friday the 24th of July. The morning brings a new 6ft S swell with a period of 9 seconds – short period, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but the combined energy is moderate at 583. The wind is light from the west, cross-off, so it’ll be clean enough. It’s surfable, but not the best of the run.

The real standout of the outlook is on Monday the 3rd of August. That morning, a massive 13ft S swell hits, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is a whopping 6325 – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. This is big, powerful stuff. The wind is from the NNW at 9 mph, cross-shore, so it won’t be perfectly clean, but the energy is undeniable. For experienced surfers only – this is well over 8ft, so it’s a big day. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still only for experts. The caveat here is that the period is 11 seconds, so it’s a groundswell, but it’s not a long-period beast that becomes too straight. The reef at Shark Island should handle this size, but it’s going to be a serious session.

There’s a gap of several days of poor surf between the 20th and the 24th, and then again after the 27th until the 3rd of August. The second week’s offering is that big Monday the 3rd, and then it settles back down. The long-range Monday the 3rd is the one to circle – it’s promising, but remember, long-range forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

So, overall: the morning of Monday the 20th is your best early bet for clean, solid waves. The absolute standout, if you’ve got the skills, is the morning of Monday the 3rd of August for a big, powerful swell. Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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