Strand (Pipe) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

The first few days are pretty quiet, but there’s a cracking run of swell building from next week. The water’s sitting at 58°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you might want a thicker suit.

The first real chance to get wet is Thursday afternoon, 16 July, at Strand (Pipe). It’s a beach and reef set-up, and we’ve got a clean 5ft SW groundswell with a 13-second period. The wind is glassy, and the combined energy is solid but moderate (734). It’s a good start, but the real standout is still to come.

Friday morning, 17 July, sees things drop a touch on the height, but with a 4ft SW swell and glassy conditions, it’s still a clean session. The wind goes calm on Friday morning, so expect glassy faces. The afternoon holds up with 4ft SW and glassy conditions, but the energy is dropping (375 and 320). Saturday and Sunday, 18 and 19 July, get messy with cross and cross-onshore winds, so I’d skip those.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday, 20 July, we’re back to glassy conditions with a 5ft SSW swell. Not huge, but clean. Tuesday, 21 July, is a standout morning. We’ve got a 5ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period, glassy conditions, and the combined energy jumps to 855 (moderate). The afternoon gets a bit choppy with cross-on wind, but that morning session is the pick of the first week.

The second week kicks off with a proper pulse. Wednesday, 22 July, is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy 8ft swell. However, Thursday, 23 July, shows a 10ft SSW swell – that’s expert territory, over 8ft – with light cross winds. The energy is massive (2837), but the wind is a bit cross, so it’s not perfect.

The true highlight of the whole forecast lands on Friday, 24 July, and Saturday, 25 July. Friday morning serves up a 8ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, light cross-offshore winds, and clean conditions. The energy is 2274 (strong). Saturday morning is even better: 8ft SSW groundswell with a 16-second period, light cross-offshore wind, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is a massive 3413. This is a big, powerful, clean swell for experienced surfers. The afternoon on both days stays clean.

Sunday, 26 July, is still big (8ft, 17-second period) but with a cross-shore wind, so it’s not as clean. Monday, 27 July, the wind swings offshore from the ESE, giving us a clean 5ft SW groundswell. Tuesday, 28 July, is glassy with a 5ft SW swell and a 15-second period – a lovely, clean, medium-sized day.

The final standout is Wednesday, 29 July. The afternoon session is glassy with a 7ft SSW groundswell and a 17-second period. The energy is 3258 (very strong). That’s a clean, powerful, late-afternoon session for the experienced crew.

After that, Thursday, 30 July, is a bit lumpy, and Friday, 31 July, is a write-off with strong cross winds and small, messy swell.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow build with a few clean windows. The second week is where the magic is. The absolute best on offer is Saturday, 25 July at Strand (Pipe) – that 8ft SSW groundswell with 16-second period and glassy conditions is a proper session for the experienced surfer. The Friday before and the Wednesday after are also top-tier.

Rusty.

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