Sixtynine Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be honest—this outlook for the next 16 days is a tough one for Sixtynine. The swell window is pretty much shut for the first week, with only tiny, weak pulses showing up. We’ve got a long dry spell from Friday, July 18th, all the way through to late in the second week, with barely a ripple worth paddling for. Keep your expectations low, but hey, forecasts can always shift.

Let’s start with the little bit of action we do get. On Friday morning, July 17th, there’s a small west swell of 2 ft at 14 seconds, coming from the W direction. The combined swell energy is moderate at 203, but it’s held back by a light cross-onshore wind from the NNW at 3 mph. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for the time of year, but the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” The break is fairly exposed to the WNW, which is your optimum direction, but the wind and size just aren’t playing ball. This one’s a scratchy option at best. By Friday afternoon, the swell drops to 2 ft and the energy falls to 167, still with that same light cross-onshore wind, so no improvement.

Saturday, July 18th, sees the swell drop further to 2 ft in the morning, period 13 seconds, from the W. Energy is weak at 97, with a cross-shore breeze from the N at 6 mph. The afternoon does see a slight shift to a cross-off wind from the NE, still 6 mph, and the wave comment finally says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best of the first few days, but with a combined energy of only 87, it’s hardly a standout. From Sunday, July 19th, right through to Thursday, July 24th, the swell just keeps shrinking, with heights dropping to 1 ft, then 1.0 ft, then 0.7 ft, and eventually flat. The wind does go glassy at times, like Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon, but with less than 1.0 ft on offer, it’s not worth suiting up.

There’s a huge gap from about Tuesday, July 22nd, through to Sunday, July 27th, with zero swell and zero energy. The wind stays light, but there’s simply nothing to ride. On Sunday, July 26th, in the afternoon, we see the faintest pulse of 0.3 ft from the W at 10 seconds, with an energy of just 2, and a gentle cross-shore wind. That’s not surf, that’s a ripple.

The end of the outlook offers a tiny glimmer, but it’s far off. On Wednesday, July 30th, in the afternoon, there’s a 0.3 ft swell from the SW at a very long 17 seconds—that’s proper groundswell period, but the height is laughable. Energy is a weak 12. Then on Thursday, July 31st, we see a small west swell of 0.7 ft in the morning, building to 1.0 ft in the afternoon, with a period of 13–14 seconds and energy climbing to 32. The wind is cross-shore from the NNE at 9 mph, keeping it messy. And into August 1st, there’s a 1.0 ft swell from the SW at 15 seconds, but the wind is cross-onshore from the NW at 6 mph. Again, all flagged as “poor surf conditions.”

Honestly, mate, there’s no standout here. The whole period is a write-off for proper waves. The best you can hope for is a tiny, weak wave with marginal wind on July 18th, and maybe a slightly bigger but still tiny bump on July 31st. If you’re desperate for a paddle, you might find a knee-high ripple on one of those afternoons, but don’t expect much. This is a blank run, plain and simple.

Rusty.

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