Shipwrecks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what we’ve got on the cards. Honestly, it’s a quiet stretch ahead, and there’s not a lot to get excited about. The surf window is pretty narrow, with a long gap of poor to marginal conditions where I wouldn’t bother paddling out.

The first sniff of anything worthwhile comes on the morning of Sunday, 19 July, but it’s really the afternoon that might offer a little something. We’re looking at Shipwrecks as our only option. This is a reef and point setup that’s fairly consistent, but it can get a bit crowded at times. The water is sitting at 84°F, which is a whopping 7°F above normal – that’s very unusual, definitely warmer than you’d expect for this time of year.

That Sunday morning, the 19th, the swell is tiny, only about 2ft from the SW, with a long period of 17 seconds (groundswell). The wind is light and cross-shore, which is the best we’ll see all week. Combined swell energy is moderate (522). It’ll be small but workable if you’re on a log.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, the 19th, things get a touch cleaner. The wind swings around to a light cross-offshore from the WSW, which is a major positive – it’s going to clean things right up. Swell stays at 2ft from the SW, period still a solid 17 seconds, and wave energy drops a bit (464). This is the standout moment: it’ll be glassy, the sets will be well-spaced, and for a point break like Shipwrecks, that long period should wrap in nicely. If you can only pick one session, this is the one.

Looking further ahead into the second week, there’s a big pulse of swell arriving around Thursday, 16 July, but the wind is going to wreck it. On Thursday afternoon, we see 8ft from the SSE with a 14 second period, and the combined swell energy is strong at 2637. But the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, making a lumpy mess. This is one for the big-wave experts only, and even then, it’s going to be ugly. The following Friday morning, 17 July, sees a massive 15ft from the S, but with onshore wind and a risk of thunderstorms – that’s a hard pass for paddle surfing. That kind of setup at a beach and reef break is more interesting for the kite surfers than for us.

After that, the swell drops off fast into Sunday, the 19th, and then Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are back to small, clean but tiny waves in the 2ft to 3ft range, with light winds. It’s not terrible, but it’s not going to get your heart pumping.

So, the bottom line: Sunday afternoon, the 19th of July, at Shipwrecks, is the one true standout in this whole outlook. Get it while you can.

Rusty.

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