Spot x Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Spot x.

This is a reef set-up that’s exposed to swell from the west-southwest and it’s very consistent. The first bit of the week is a write-off, but hang tight – things turn around.

We start with Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th. The swell is a solid 8ft to 10ft, all from the WSW, but the wind is on it, strong and from the wrong direction. It’s messy, blown-out, and the wave comment is poor. There’s a lot of energy in the water, but it’s just not rideable for a paddle. Not worth getting wet.

Tuesday the 21st is still pretty average. The swell holds around 8ft, period dropping to 11-13 seconds, but the wind goes cross-onshore then cross-shore. It’s choppy and a bit of a battle. Quality is lacking.

Now, Wednesday the 22nd is the clear standout. This is the day to circle on the calendar. Morning and afternoon, we’ve got a nice 8ft to 12ft swell from the SW, with a long 13-15 second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, meaning clean, lined-up waves. The energy is cranking. This is proper groundswell, and a reef break like this will handle it beautifully. It’s a bit big for beginners, but for an intermediate surfer, this is excellent. The water temp is 67°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus.

Thursday the 23rd is another solid day. Clean conditions again, with offshore to cross-offshore winds from the NE and NNE. The swell is a touch smaller at 7ft to 8ft, with a 13-14 second period. Still very good, and the crowd factor is "sometimes" so you might get a few out, but it’s manageable.

Friday the 24th is still a good option, though the swell eases to 6ft to 6ft. The wind stays light and cross-offshore, keeping things clean. It’s a fun, user-friendly size.

Saturday the 25th is a step down. The swell is 5ft, the wind is still cross-offshore, but the period drops a bit, and the wave comment says "marginal" for the morning. It’s not terrible, but Wednesday and Thursday were the real highlights.

The rest of the window from Sunday the 26th onward gets increasingly messy. The swell gets big again – 10ft, 13ft, even 18ft by the end of July and into August – but the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, and it’s often strong. There are gale-force winds forecast, and the wave comments are all "poor surf conditions" or "blown out." The energy is massive, but it’s a kite-surfing show, not a paddle-surfing one. From the 27th of July right through to the 3rd of August, there’s a long stretch of no good options. Best to sit that one out.

So, the clear winner is Wednesday the 22nd of July. Get in the water. Thursday the 23rd is a very close second. After that, the forecast is a gamble.

Rusty.

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