Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks. This reef set-up is a sheltered spot that really needs a solid SW groundswell to pump, and we’ve got a bit of a story to tell over the next couple of weeks.

We’re kicking off on Tuesday the 21st of July with some proper juice. The combined swell energy is strong at 1934, hitting a clean 7 ft from the SW with a 14-second period. That’s quality groundswell. With a light cross-off breeze from the ESE at 6 mph, these waves are gonna be clean and well-shaped. This is a top shelf window for the experienced crew. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

Wednesday the 22nd is still solid, though the swell eases a touch. Morning has 5 ft of SW groundswell (13 seconds) with light offshore S wind at 6 mph – clean, rippable. The energy drops to 944, but it’s still a good time. The afternoon sees a gentle offshore from the SSW, keeping things tidy.

Thursday the 23rd gets a bit trickier. The swell is still there – 5 ft to 6 ft – but the wind goes light cross-shore from the W, and the reports say there’s some tide issues. The waves will be there but not as clean. The energy is moderate (1076–1280).

A big gap now: Friday the 24th is a write-off with onshore winds and poor conditions. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see a massive pulse of swell – we’re talking 15 ft to 18 ft of SW energy, with combined readings over 12,000. That’s very strong. However, the wind is a strong cross-off (19–25 mph). While it’s clean, this is huge, powerful water. Over 8 ft, this is strictly for experts only, and the period is long, so it’ll be barreling but heavy. The energy is extreme. This is more of a big-wave show than a casual paddle.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th still have good size (10 ft dropping to 6 ft) but with a moderate cross-off breeze. It’s surfable, but not the highlight.

The real standout lands on Thursday the 30th of July. We’ve got a 8 ft SW groundswell in the morning, blowing up to 13 ft by the afternoon with a 19-second period – that’s a very long, powerful groundswell. The combined energy hits 10691. The best part? Light offshore winds from the SW, making it absolutely glassy. This is excellent, clean, heavy surf for experienced surfers. The long period means it’ll be a bit straight at times on the reef, so watch the tides, but the quality is undeniable.

Second standout: Saturday the 1st of August. The swell is still pumping a solid 18 ft of SW groundswell, with a 16-second period and combined energy of 14019. The wind is glassy – light N at 3 mph in the afternoon. That’s “exceptional” conditions, but only for experts. The crowd situation is listed as “rare”, so you might have it quiet, but this is serious, big-wave territory.

After that, into the first week of August, the swell holds at 13 ft to 15 ft but the wind turns cross-shore and onshore, getting lumpy. The energy is still strong, but the quality drops. The last day in the window, Wednesday the 5th of August, is poor with choppy cross-onshore winds and the swell dropping to 8 ft.

So, bottom line: the first two days are good, and the 30th of July and the 1st of August are the true standouts—but only if you’ve got the skill and the nerve for big, powerful groundswell. The rest is either too windy, too big, or just average.

Rusty out.

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