Shipwrecks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Shipwrecks area over the next couple of weeks.

This is a bit of a slow burn. The first week and a half is mostly a write-off, with a lot of small, messy, or onshore wind swell. The good news is there's a real pulse of long-period groundswell trying to show up in the second week, but it's got some wind and size issues to navigate. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

The opening week is grim. From Monday the 13th to Saturday the 19th of July, the swell is small, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the conditions are consistently poor. You’re looking at waist-high or smaller slop with a cross-chop. Not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday the 19th of July in the afternoon. The wind drops right out, going glassy, and there’s a long-period 17-second SW groundswell pushing in. The combined energy is moderate (402). The swell is only 2ft, so it’s small, but glassy conditions and that long period will make for some clean, lined-up little waves. It’s the pick of an otherwise poor week. The break is fairly consistent and fairly exposed to the S swell, so it should be working. The crowd can be a factor here, it's often busy, so get out there early if you want a piece of it.

The following week turns a bit more energetic, but also a lot more challenging. Monday the 20th of July sees a bigger swell pulse (4ft) but with strong onshore wind, turning it into a choppy mess. Tuesday the 21st of July gets a bit bigger again, with a 6ft SSW swell, but a fresh 22 mph onshore wind makes for lumpy, dangerous conditions. That size is pushing into expert-only territory with that wind. The energy is very strong (1505).

The real standout, if the forecast holds, is on Monday the 27th of July. A solid 8ft SSE groundswell rolls in with a period of 12 seconds and very strong energy (2544). The wind is a light 6 mph cross-on, which is pretty clean. This is a big winter swell, for experienced surfers only. The break is a reef and point, which is perfect for holding onto that longer-period energy. It’s promising, but it’s a long way out, so the confidence is lower.

Tuesday the 28th of July looks even bigger, with a 10ft SSE swell, period of 13 seconds, and massive energy (3993). The wind is light onshore at 9 mph. This is big, powerful, and for experts only. The tide might be a factor, so check the local conditions. It’s another one to keep an eye on.

Rusty

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