Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – for the next little while, Shelley Beach is a bit of a challenge. It’s on the expose to the south-east, but the wind is going to be a problem for a few days. We’ve got a decent run of swell on the way, but it’s gonna take its time to clean up.

The first decent chance you’re gonna get doesn't come around until Thursday morning, the 9th of July. The swell has dropped a bit to about 7ft from the SE, with a 10-second period, but the real win is that cross-offshore WSW wind at 9 mph. It’s gonna be clean, and there’s a moderate wave energy (875). It’s not a monster, but after the blown-out mess of the weekend, this is a real relief. The water is sitting at about 66°, which is pretty average for this time of year – nothing to worry about.

Friday morning, the 10th of July, is similar but a little smaller – around 6ft from the SSE with a 10-second period and that same clean, cross-offshore wind. The energy is down a notch (650), but it’s still a fun, user-friendly option for anyone who missed out Thursday.

Now, the real standout for the whole outlook is Saturday the 18th of July, into Sunday the 19th of July. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. On Saturday afternoon, we’ve got a pumping 8ft SE groundswell riding that 12-second period, with a gentle offshore wind out of the northwest at 9 mph. The energy is there (1824), and it’s going to be clean. This is set for experienced surfers – that’s a bit too big for a beginner, but for anyone with some time in the water, it’s gonna be epic. The direction is perfect for the break.

Sunday the 19th of July keeps the fun going – 6ft from the SE, a solid 11-second period, and again, offshore flow from the northwest. Clean and lined up. And Sunday afternoon picks up a bit again, 7ft from the SSE. If crowds are a thing for you, it’s worth noting that Shelley Beach is sometimes busy, so a bit of competition is possible.

For the week in between, we’ve got a bit of a lull. Saturday the 11th of July morning is glassy and clean, with just about 4ft from the SE and a light offshore breeze, but it’s small. Then Sunday the 12th of July morning is similar – 3ft and clean, but you’re really scratching. There’s a stretch from Monday the 13th through to Wednesday the 15th of July that’s basically flat or just messy.

One thing – on Tuesday the 16th of July and Thursday the 17th of July, the swell gets big again (10ft to 12ft), but it’s coming with strong cross-shore winds. That’s not great for paddle surfing at a beach; if you’ve got a kite, you might have a better time.

In short: Thursday and Friday of this coming week are your early pick for a clean wave, but the real gold is on the 18th and 19th of July – that’s the weekend to keep free.

Rusty.

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