Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk Shelley Beach. This spot is consistent, exposed to the south-east, and it usually handles a bit of size. But the next few days? Honestly, pretty grim for a paddle. The wind is onshore from the SSE for Saturday the 18th, and the swell is small and short-period – 4ft at 6 to 7 seconds from the ESE. The combined energy is moderate at best, but the surf is just poor. Not worth getting wet.

Sunday the 19th is a no-go too. The swell bumps up to 7ft from the east, period gets to 11 seconds, and the energy jumps – that’s solid wave energy. But the wind is still onshore from the SE, making it messy. The forecast calls it marginal, and I’d agree.

Now, Monday the 20th is where it gets interesting. The morning is the standout for the first week. Glassy conditions with a light south-west wind, the swell is 5ft from the east at 10 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate to strong. The forecast says expect very good surf conditions. That’s the one to aim for. Shelley Beach will be clean and have some punch. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

After Monday, things drop off. Tuesday the 21st is clean in the morning with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 4ft and the energy drops. It’s surfable, but nothing special. The rest of the week slides into small, weak, and mostly messy conditions. From Wednesday the 22nd through to Sunday the 27th, the swell is tiny – often below 2ft – and the energy is weak. You’ll see a few glassy or clean moments, like Wednesday the 22nd morning and Sunday the 26th morning, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. There’s a long gap of flat, ordinary surf.

The end of July and into August brings a massive change. On Friday the 31st of July, a big south swell rolls in. The morning shows 10ft at 13 seconds from the south, with very strong energy. The wind is light offshore from the west, glassy. But here’s the thing: the forecast says it’s too big for this break. 10ft is expert territory, and at a beach break like Shelley, that’s going to be a washing machine. Same goes for the afternoon and into Saturday the 1st of August, with 10ft to 12ft and energy over 2000. These are big, powerful groundswells, long period, and they’ll be closing out hard. Unless you’re a seasoned charger with a big gun, stay on the sand. Even Sunday the 2nd of August sees 13ft at 11 seconds from the south – combined energy nearly 6000 – again, way too big for paddle surfing here. This setup would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, the best of the whole outlook? Monday the 20th in the morning. Glassy, clean, 5ft of east swell with decent energy. That’s your window. The big stuff at the end is for the brave and the boardshorts, but it’s not really a goer for most.

Rusty

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