Sponge bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Sponge Bay. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with some decent windows and some proper dirty spells to dodge.

The first solid window kicks off Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning is looking sweet with 1.7m of ESE groundswell (877 energy), glassy conditions thanks to a light cross-off breeze, and water temps sitting about 55°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year. The break is best on a SSE swell, so that ESE direction is a little off the mark, but the wave shape should still be tidy. The wind holds for the afternoon too with 1.6m and a NE cross-off. Not a standout, but a good clean session.

Thursday the 30th still has clean surf, but it’s dropping off to 1.3m in the morning and 1.1m by the arvo. The energy is falling (509 morning, 362 afternoon). Still fun for a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup like this, but nothing to write home about.

Friday the 31st sees a drop to 0.8m and onshore winds kick in – that’s a no-go. Then Saturday the 1st of August has a bit of a SSW swell at 1.4m, but the winds are messy. By Saturday afternoon the SSW swell jumps to 2.5m but with a fresh cross-onshore (22 mph) and chop, it’s a write-off. Sunday the 2nd is even worse – 3.5m of swell but blown to bits by 31 mph winds. That’s kite-surf territory, not paddle.

After a rough patch, Monday the 3rd of August is worth a look. The morning is marginal, but the afternoon is the first real standout. 2.2m of S swell (1592 energy) with glassy conditions – that’s clean, clean, clean. This is a cracker for experienced surfers. The swell direction is a decent match for the break’s optimum, and the period is 11 seconds, so there’s some proper energy in the water but with manageable sets. Crowds can be a thing here, but for an afternoon like this, it’ll be worth sharing a few waves.

Tuesday the 4th of August sees the swell jump to 3.0m from the SSE with a very long 16-second period (4885 energy). That’s proper strong, and the energy is huge. For a beach and reef setup, that long period can make it break a bit straight. More importantly, this is too big for most riders – strictly for experts only, and even then, you’d want to be cautious. The wind is light in the morning but turns cross-onshore in the arvo. Not the best call for a paddle session.

Wednesday the 5th of August has a 2.5m SSE swell still running with a 14-second period (3091 energy). Wind is cross in the morning, but the swell is still big. Thursday the 6th is a better bet for experienced surfers: 2.4m dropping to 2.0m SE swell (2265-1472 energy) with clean cross-off winds in the afternoon. Good shape for a point-break style wave at Sponge Bay, but the size still means it’s not for beginners.

From Friday the 7th of August onward, the forecast gets grim. Strong south-easterly winds and onshore slop. The swell hangs around – sometimes 3.5m and over 2000 energy – but the wind is relentless, and the water is a mess. This pattern looks set to run through until about the 13th of August. We’re looking at a solid week of poor to marginal conditions, with the swell direction often from the ESE and strong southerly winds. Not good.

By Thursday the 13th of August, the swell drops back to 1.9m and the wind eases, but it stays cross-onshore. It’s a marginal finish.

Overall, the best bet is Monday 3rd of August afternoon – that 2.2m glassy S swell is as good as it gets. If you’re keen for a challenge and you’ve got the skills, Tuesday 4th of August morning has the size but it’s only for the brave. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too blown out.

Rusty.

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