Shelley Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what Shelley Beach has got cookin’ for us over the next couple of weeks. Gotta say, it’s a bit of a slow starter, so don’t get your hopes up for the next few days.

Right now, Friday the 3rd, the swell is tiny at 1 ft from the NE with a short, weak 7-second period. The combined swell energy is a measly 13 – barely a ripple. Winds are howling offshore at 16 mph, but there’s just nothing to ride. It’s a write-off.

Saturday the 4th is where things start to get a little bit interesting. For the morning session, a clean, 3 ft groundswell from the south rolls in, packing a 12-second period. The energy jumps way up to 283 (moderate) and the wind goes glassy-light from the NW at only 3 mph. That is a serious window of clean, workable waves. Get in there early Saturday morning because it’s the best on offer in the short term.

Sunday the 5th turns nasty. That southerly swell pumps up to 8 ft, but the wind howls onshore from the SSW at 19 mph, turning the ocean into a lumpy mess. The energy reads a massive 1734, but with those conditions, it’s a washing machine. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th stay big, with swell hanging around 8 ft to 8 ft from the SSE and SE, but the wind stays cross or cross-onshore, and the forecast keeps calling it poor. The energy is high (up to 2138 on Monday afternoon) but the quality just isn’t there. There’s a small window on Tuesday morning (July 7th) with a cross-shore wind, but it’s only marginal.

We get a bit of a drop on Wednesday the 8th as the swell backs off to 7 ft, but it’s still plagued by cross-shore breezes. By Friday the 10th, the swell drops to 4 ft in the morning with a 9-second period, but the wind stays messy. There’s a window on Saturday the 11th morning – a clean 4 ft from the SE with a light cross-offshore wind from the west. That’s a solid pick for a mellow weekend session.

The middle of next week is tiny again. The real standout, and I mean the *real* standout, comes on Wednesday the 15th of July. The morning sees a clean 7 ft south swell with a 10-second period and light cross-offshore winds. That’s good. But the afternoon is where it gets heavy – 10 ft of south swell with a long, powerful 13-second period. The energy hits 3200 (very strong). That is a serious, powerful groundswell. However, at that size (over 8 ft) it’s strictly for experienced surfers only. It will also be breaking a bit straight at a beach break with that long period, but if you can find a bank, it’ll be on.

The next day, Thursday the 16th, is even bigger, with 12 ft swell in the morning. The energy is a monstrous 4419. Same caveat – too big for most.

After that, the swell slowly fades, but Friday the 17th morning still has a clean 8 ft south swell before the wind goes to absolute hell with heavy rain and 25 mph onshore winds on Friday afternoon. The following weekend (July 18th and 19th) is a complete washout with onshore gales and massive storm surf.

So, to sum it up: best on offer are Saturday morning the 4th of July for clean, friendly 3 ft waves, and Wednesday the 15th of July afternoon for a huge, powerful groundswell that only experts should even think about. The water temp is 67°, which is 2° warmer than usual for this time of year – a nice little bonus to keep you warm.

Stay safe.
Rusty.

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