Stingray Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s a real gem hiding in the middle of the 16-day window worth keeping an eye on. The first actual surf worth paddling for doesn’t kick in until Thursday morning, and even then it’s pretty ordinary. Let’s work through it.

Thursday 16 July – Stingray Bay (reef and point) is just spluttering to life. Thursday morning it’s a tiny 1.0 ft from the ESE at a very long 15 seconds, but with light NW wind off it, the water’s clean. The combined energy is only 94 (weak), so don’t expect much – it’s a real ankle-snapper. Thursday afternoon the swell bumps up to 2 ft, 17 seconds, cross-off WSW breeze, and the energy jumps to 231 (moderate). Still small, but it’s a sign of better things.

Friday 17 July morning – This is the standout. The sun’s out, glassy WNW offshore wind, and we’ve got 4 ft of ESE groundswell pumping in at 16 seconds. The combined energy hits 671 (moderate, but solid). That’s proper reef-feeding energy with a long period, and at Stingray Bay it’ll wrap in nicely. The water’s sitting at 55° – a bit colder than normal for this time of year, about 2° below average, so you’ll want a thicker spring suit. Friday afternoon the wind switches to a light cross-on from the east, so the morning is definitely the call.

Saturday 18 July – Still good. 3 ft from the ESE, period dropping to 14 seconds, but glassy conditions both morning and afternoon. The energy is 415–436 (moderate). Clean, fun waves, but not as punchy as Friday. Sunday 19 July stays around 3 ft, cross-off and glassy. The swell is easing, but it’s still surfable and clean.

Monday 20 July through Wednesday 22 July – The surf gets small again. 2 ft Monday, 1 ft Tuesday, 0.7–1.0 ft Wednesday. The energy drops below 160 (weak). Tuesday afternoon has a poor cross-shore wind, and the waves are tiny. Wednesday is glassy though, if you’re desperate.

Thursday 23 July to Saturday 25 July – Pretty much flat. Swell is 0.3–0.7 ft, energy in the single digits or low teens. Poor conditions. Not worth wetting the board.

Sunday 26 July – A tiny bump: 2 ft from the SE at 8 seconds short period, but with a gentle offshore WNW breeze. Energy is only 51 (weak). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Monday 27 July to Wednesday 29 July – Back to flat. 0.7–1 ft, short period, energy below 35. Even with glassy conditions, there’s nothing to ride.

Thursday 30 July – A little pulse returns. 1 ft in the morning, 2 ft in the afternoon, ESE 14 seconds, energy 180–218 (moderate). Glassy morning, light cross-on afternoon. Marginal, but at least it’s not flat.

Friday 31 July – The best of the second week. 3 ft from the ESE at 13 seconds, with a light cross-off NNW breeze in the morning. Energy hits 284 (moderate). The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore and bumpy, but the morning looks clean and fun. Not a standout, but a decent end to the run.

Overall, Friday 17 July morning is the clear winner – glassy, 4 ft groundswell, good energy, and the reef will handle that long period better than a beach break. After that, the swell fades fast. There’s a big gap of almost no surf from 23 July to 26 July, then another gap until 30 July. Stingray Bay is fairly consistent, so it’s not unusual to see these flat spells. For the bigger days, if you’re a beginner, 4 ft is fine; it’s not over 5 ft, so no worries.

Rusty.

Read more