Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Shelley Beach is our only spot on the radar, and it’s got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The water’s sitting at 65°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real standout is Monday morning, the 27th of July. It’s not huge, but it’s beautiful. We’ve got a 4ft south swell, period around 9 seconds, and the wind is glassy – not a breath of wind. That’s going to leave the surface like a mirror, clean as a whistle. The combined energy is moderate (216). It’s not a big day, but for a smooth, cruisy session, this is the pick of the early week.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday and Wednesday are tiny, with swell dropping below 2ft. The wind is offshore at times, but there’s just no wave energy to work with. The combined energy is weak (43 and below). It’s a bit of a dead patch for a few days.

Thursday the 30th of July brings a solid pulse of south swell, 8ft to 10ft, with moderate to strong energy (1965 to 3192). But here’s the thing – the wind turns cross and cross-onshore, making it choppy. And at 10ft, it’s getting too big for most, really only for the experienced crew. The wind is a letdown.

Friday the 31st is similar – 8ft south swell in the morning, but cross-shore wind and not great conditions. The afternoon gets messy.

Now, the next real beauty is Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. The swell drops to a manageable 5ft from the SSE, with a period of 11 seconds, giving it some decent energy (758). And the wind is glassy again – dead flat. That’s a magic window for a clean, lined-up wave at Shelley Beach. The south swell direction is a bit off the optimum, but with those conditions, it’s worth getting out there.

After that, Monday the 3rd still has a clean 4ft SE swell with light offshore breeze (340 energy). Not a standout, but a solid session.

The second week gets a bit wild. From the 5th of August onward, we see a big return of south swell, pushing 7ft to 12ft, and even 13ft on the 7th. The combined energy jumps into the thousands (strong to very strong). But the wind is almost always cross or cross-onshore, and for the really big days (over 8ft), it’s written off as too big for this break. The 6th and 7th have some big rolling groundswell, but with onshore wind, it’s not going to be pleasant. The 10th of August has a 10ft ESE swell with a 12-second period and strong energy (2334), but the wind is fresh and cross-shore, making it lumpy.

Honestly, for the first week, the glassy Sunday morning on the 2nd of August is your best bet. The Monday morning on the 27th is a close second for a clean, smaller wave. For the second week, it’s all big and messy – not much worth paddling out for unless you’re a glutton for punishment.

Rusty.

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