Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good hard look at what’s on offer at Shelley Beach over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and honesty is the best policy, so I’m calling it as I see it.

The water temperature is sitting at 64°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there to worry about.

Right off the bat, Sunday the 9th isn’t a complete write-off. You’ve got 3ft of swell from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, pushing in with moderate wave energy (116). The wind is a moderate offshore from the NNW, so it’ll be clean. It’s surfable, but ordinary. Not the day to get too excited.

Monday the 10th through the middle of the month looks pretty average. Monday morning has a bigger push of 6ft from the ENE, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph offshore. That’s a strong, clean wind but it’ll be hard to paddle into. By Tuesday afternoon the 11th, a new S swell at 4ft with a 12-second period shows up, and the combined energy jumps to a moderate 531, but the wind goes cross-offshore, so it’s messy and questionable. We get a little window Wednesday morning the 12th with a gentle offshore, but only 2ft of S swell. The conditions are good, but the waves are small.

From the 13th through the 16th, it’s a bit of a rough patch. The swell picks up to 6ft on the 13th, but the wind is cross-shore or onshore, making it choppy and poor. The 14th has a similar story: clean conditions in the morning with 4ft but poor form by afternoon as the onshore kicks in. The weekend of the 15th and 16th is dominated by onshore winds and small, messy 3ft to 2ft swell. Not much to recommend here.

Now, heading into the back half of the forecast, there are a couple of things that catch the eye. Tuesday morning the 18th looks glassy with 2ft of S swell, but the energy is weak (91). It’s just ok, barely surfable. Then, Friday morning the 21st is glassy again, with 4ft from the ESE and a 7-second period. The combined energy is a moderate 144, and it’s clean. That’s a decent, small-wave option.

The real standout, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Sunday the 23rd in the morning. This is the best on offer across the whole run. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the ENE, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 1107. That’s a strong pulse of energy. The wind is a moderate offshore from the WNW, keeping the surface clean. This is proper wave height, excellent conditions for experienced surfers. For beginners, 7ft is a bit on the big side, so know your limits. The afternoon of the 23rd is still good with 6ft, but the morning is the call. The optimum direction for Shelley Beach is SE, and this is ENE, so it’s not dead on, but with that size and clean wind it’s still going to offer up plenty.

After that, Monday the 24th the swell drops back and the onshore wind returns, finishing the run on a quieter note.

So, to sum it up: there are gaps of very poor surf from the 13th to the 17th, and again around the 19th and 20th. The one true standout is the morning of Sunday the 23rd. Get on it. Otherwise, keep an eye on the glassy morning of the 21st for a smaller session.

Rusty.

Read more