Surf City Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next 16 days out at Surf City Pier are a real mixed bag, and mostly a flat, frustrating one. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing worth paddling out for, so don’t be in a rush.

The first real sniff of anything surfable doesn’t show up until the morning of Sunday, 19th July. The water’s sitting at 82°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. That Sunday morning, we’ve got a 5ft swell rolling in from the SSW, with a clean texture thanks to a light cross-offshore breeze. The swell’s got a combined energy of 350 (moderate), so there’s a bit of push behind it, but the period is only 7 seconds which is short and choppy. It’s a sandbar break, very consistent, and it’s exposed to the swell. For a beginner, 5ft is getting a bit punchy, so keep your wits about you. The wind is nice and light, so the surf will look clean, but it’s not a standout.

Monday morning, 20th July, is a similar story – 4ft from the S, light cross-offshore breeze, clean conditions. The energy is lower at 155 (moderate), and the period is still a short 7 seconds. It’s surfable, but nothing to call home about. Just ordinary.

The real standout, the only one worth getting excited about, is Tuesday morning, 28th July. That’s over a week away, so it’s a long-range call, but it’s got promise. We’re looking at a 4ft, S swell, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE, and the combined energy jumps right up to 235 (moderate). The wind is light, so expect clean, glassy conditions. The period is 6 seconds, so it’s short period windswell, but the setup here is consistent and with the optimum swell coming from the SE, this S direction is a decent match. The 4ft size is approachable for most, but it’s the clean conditions that make it the best of the bunch. The afternoon turns onshore, so the morning is your window.

Before that Tuesday, there’s a big gap. After Sunday and Monday, the 21st through to the 27th are a write-off – bumpy, choppy, cross-shore winds, poor surf conditions. Don’t bother. There’s a little window on Saturday morning, 25th July, with glassy conditions and a 3ft SSW swell, but the energy is a low 174 and the period is short, so it’s only worth a look if you’re desperate.

Further out, after that Tuesday session, the 29th through to the 1st of August look like flatter, wind-affected junk again. It’s a long stretch of nothing.

So, bottom line: the best surf on offer is the morning of Tuesday, 28th July. It’s clean, it’s got a bit of size, and the energy is there. The Sunday 19th and Monday 20th are your only other options, but they’re just average. If you’re a beginner, be careful on the 19th. The rest of the time, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, with those strong cross-shore winds.

Rusty.

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