Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and am I looking at something special or what? We’ve got a solid run of southwest groundswell coming in, and the only spot doing the business is Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks – a reef setup that’s gonna be one for the experienced crew. No small stuff on offer, so if you’re a beginner, sit this one out.

The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing too wild, just your standard chilly dip.

We kick things off proper from Friday 17th July morning. Already got a clean 8ft SW swell with a 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell, and the wind is light and offshore from the SSW. That’s 6 mph off the land, making for clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is pumping at 2268 (moderate-strong), and it’s only going to build. By Friday afternoon, it’s up to 8ft, still offshore, still clean. This is a reef break, so those long 15-second periods will push through with nice shape, not like those messy beach breaks.

Saturday 18th July keeps the party going. Morning sees 10ft swell, light offshore breeze, 4410 energy – this is getting serious. Afternoon stays at 10ft but the wind goes cross-off, still clean. This is all advanced territory now.

Sunday 19th July is the standout, no question. Morning: 13ft of SW swell, 17-second period – that’s very long period groundswell. Wind is light offshore, and the energy reading is 8504. That’s strong. This is the pick of the whole run. The afternoon is only marginally smaller at 12ft, still offshore. If you’re an expert, you’re calling in sick. The break is fairly consistent, but this spot is a reef, so it can handle that long period better than a beach break would.

Monday 20th July stays solid with 8ft and cross-off wind, still clean. Tuesday 21st is offshore all day, 8ft dropping to 7ft, still very good. Wednesday 22nd backs off to 6ft, then 5ft, still clean but smaller. Thursday 23rd is smaller still, 4ft to 5ft, a bit of a lull.

Then we hit a rough patch. Friday 24th July has onshore wind from the NNW, 6ft but messy. Saturday 25th brings a new WSW swell, but it’s 12ft to 16ft with strong 19-22 mph cross-off winds, and the period drops to 9-12 seconds – that’s a lot of wind-affected junk. The energy is high (2472 to 6050), but the quality is marginal. Sunday 26th is a write-off: 20ft of cross-shore wind mess, 19 mph, lumpy chop. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday 27th July we get a clean-up. Morning: 10ft, offshore from the S at 12 mph, energy 3010, clean. Afternoon is a bit more cross-off. Tuesday 28th is messy again. Wednesday 29th is nearly gale-force winds, 31 mph, surf is blown out.

Thursday 30th July sees a return of 10ft SW swell, 16-second period, but cross-off winds and marginal conditions. Friday 31st July is 12ft to 15ft, still cross-off.

And then the real kicker: Saturday 1st August morning. The data shows 20ft of SW swell, 16-second period, light offshore wind, and an energy reading of 16981. That’s exceptional, but it’s more than two weeks out, so it’s promising but less certain. If it holds, that’s expert-only, massive, clean groundswell on a reef.

So, the standout is without a doubt Sunday 19th July – that 13ft, 17-second, light offshore morning is the best you’ll see. The backup is the whole run from Friday 17th through Tuesday 21st. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too far out to trust. Crowds are rare here, so you’ll have plenty of room.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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