Steamer Lane-The Slot Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first several days are a bit of a struggle. The swell is small and the wind is mostly on it, making for pretty average conditions. We’re looking at a real slow start until things start to build towards the end of the first week.

The standout window is shaping up to be from Monday the 27th of July through to Tuesday the 28th of July. That’s where the magic could happen. The water temp is sitting at about 59°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing crazy, but it’s a nice bonus.

Let’s start with the early days. Monday the 20th is a write-off with tiny 2ft swell from the SW and onshore wind. The energy is weak (489 on Monday morning). Tuesday the 21st through to Thursday the 24th are much the same story – small stuff, 2ft to 4ft, and the wind is on it or cross-on. It’s just not worth paddling out for. The combined energy goes up a bit on the 24th and 25th, hitting three-digit numbers (around 994 to 1069), but the swell is still small and the wind isn’t playing ball.

Now, hold on to your board. The 27th of July (Monday) is where things start to get interesting. The morning still has that cross-on breeze, but the swell is picking up to 3ft, and the energy is strong (1468). The real treat is Monday afternoon: the wind goes glassy with a 4ft SSW swell at a very long 19 seconds period (groundswell). That’s a recipe for clean, lined-up waves. The energy is solid (1303). This is a long-period groundswell, which means it’ll be best for the point and reef setups we have here – expect some nice, smooth walls.

But the absolute best of the best is Tuesday the 28th of July. Tuesday afternoon, we’re looking at 4ft of SSW swell, glassy conditions, and the combined energy is pumping at 1770. That’s moderate to strong energy. The crowd factor is something to be aware of – this spot can get busy, so it’s not a secret. But for the experienced surfer who knows the lineup, this is the session to aim for. It’s clean, it’s got push, and the wind is perfect.

After that, we ease back. Wednesday the 29th has a spike in the morning to 8ft, but that’s a short-period NW windswell (9 seconds) with onshore wind – a bit of a messy beast that’s really only for the experts. The 30th and 31st are back to small, marginal stuff. The first week of August is a slow fade into small, onshore conditions, with a few bumps of 5ft windswell on the 3rd and 4th that are just too short-period and choppy to get excited about.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bit of a dud, but the tail end of July – specifically the afternoon of the 27th and the afternoon of the 28th – is where you want to be in the water. It’s not a massive swell, but the clean conditions and long period will make it punch way above its weight.

Rusty.

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