Spew Pits Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Spew Pits over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough start. This isn’t gonna be a week for the quiver. We’ve got a solid stretch of challenging conditions heading our way. The first decent surf recommendation doesn’t pop up until the 31st of July, and even that’s a bit of a gamble. So we’re looking at a long, quiet gap of about 9 days before anything really becomes a proper option.

The water is sitting at 72°, which is about 1° warmer than average for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just your standard balmy July water.

For the first week, from Wednesday the 22nd right through to the 30th, the swell is there but the wind is a killer. We’re seeing a solid pulse of northerly swell, building from 5 ft up to 7 ft, with moderate wave energy (219 to 532 combined energy). The problem is that persistent north to north-northeast wind. It’s mostly cross-off in the mornings, but it’s strong – 18 to 22 mph. That’s a fresh breeze, and it’s going to put a nasty chop on the surface. The wave comments are all “poor surf conditions.” On the 25th the swell hits 6 ft with a period of 8 seconds, but with 25 mph winds, that’s a messy, blown-out situation. Honestly, for a few of those days, especially Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, with that much wind and 6 ft to 7 ft of swell, Spew Pits looks more like a kiteboarding zone than a paddle spot. The short period (7-8 seconds) means the waves will be steep and sectiony, not the clean lines you want.

We finally get a break in the clouds, or rather the wind, on Friday the 31st of July. The morning shows a glimmer of hope. The swell is 5 ft from the north, with a period of 7 seconds, and the wind drops to 15 mph from the northeast. It’s a cross-off breeze, and the conditions are “clean.” The score is a 1 out of 10, but it’s the first time we see “marginal” instead of “poor.” It’s a small window, but it’s something. The combined energy is 258 (moderate). This is your best bet, but you’ve got to be an expert with nerves of steel – the north swell and the reef setup at Spew Pits means it’s going to be hollow and fast. The swell direction is north, which matches the optimum direction of NNW fairly well, so the reef will fire, but it’s a spot that’s “consistent” and “sometimes” crowded, so expect a few locals out there for that Friday dawn patrol.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Saturday the 1st of August sees the swell tumble to 4 ft, and the wind goes cross-shore. By Sunday the 2nd, it’s down to 3 ft, and by Monday the 3rd, the swell direction shifts to the WNW with a tiny 1 ft. The energy drops to weak levels (85-98). There’s a sneaky pulse on the 5th of August with a WNW swell of 3 ft and a long period of 12 seconds, and moderate energy (183), but the wind is cross-shore again. A long period swell like that can be super clean at a reef, but the size is tiny. It’s a tease.

So, to sum it up for the imperial crew: the first 9 days are a write-off due to strong wind. The only real standout is the morning of Friday the 31st of July – a 5 ft, clean north swell at Spew Pits. It’s marginal, but it’s the only game in town. After that, it’s small and inconsistent.

Rusty, signing off.

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