Tallebudgera Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Right, we’ve got a bit of a slow burner here. The start of the outlook is a lot of lumpy, cross-shore wind and marginal conditions, but hang tight because there is a proper standout later in the second week that’s worth waiting for.

We kick off on Wednesday the 8th at Tallebudgera (Gold Coast). Honest truth: it’s not great. You’ve got a solid 10-foot swell from the SSE with a period of 11 seconds – that’s a groundswell with some grunt – but the cross-wind is a stiff 15 mph out of the south. The ocean’s got a nasty cross-chop, and the combined swell energy is very strong at 2459. Water temp’s around 71°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. This is advanced-only territory; it’s too big and messy for beginners. Thursday the 9th is similar, still cross-shore, dropping from 8 ft to 8 ft, energy still strong (1487) but the wind just won’t get out of the way. Friday the 10th has a morning with 6 ft from the SSE, but still a cross wind and only gentle breeze – still not clean. The swell direction of SSE is actually spot-on for the optimum direction, but the wind murders the quality.

There’s a real gap in quality surf here. From Wednesday the 8th right up to Friday the 17th, we’re looking at either marginal, ordinary, or poor conditions. A few mornings – like Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th – offer a glimpse of glassy or offshore wind, but the swell drops quickly. Saturday the 11th morning is the first real tease: 5 ft from SSE, 10-second period, and glassy wind from the northwest. The combined energy is a moderate 590, and it’s clean. But it’s not exactly firing. Sunday the 12th morning has 4 ft from the SE, offshore wind 9 mph from the WNW, clean, but the energy is already weak at 298. Then from Monday the 13th through to Friday the 17th, it’s flat or tiny – 1 ft to 3 ft – with energy dropping into double digits. That’s a five-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, the standout. Fast forward to Tuesday the 21st of July. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Morning and afternoon both deliver 7 ft from the ESE, with a good 13-second period on the morning and 12 seconds in the arvo. Combined energy is very strong (1407 and 1217). The wind is offshore all day – 15 to 18 mph out of the west and west-southwest. That’s fresh and clean, meaning serious shape. This is expert territory though – 7 ft is over 8 ft? No, it’s under, but still only for experienced surfers. The swell direction is ESE, which matches the guidance optimum swell direction of SSE only partially, but with that period and offshore wind, the point break setup at Tallebudgera should handle it well. The break is only fairly consistent, but when it turns on with a window like this, it’s worth the wait.

Wednesday the 22nd still has solid leftovers: 6 ft from ESE, 12-second period, glassy in the morning – combined energy at 1003 – and that’s your best bet if Tuesday is too big for you. Still a strong, clean swell. After Wednesday, it fades back to small (3 ft to 3 ft) through Thursday the 23rd and into the weekend, but those later days are just ordinary.

So the call: the real highlight is the Tuesday 21st of July, with Wednesday 22nd morning as a very close second. The rest of the 16-day window is mostly a write-off until that late second-week pulse. Keep an eye on the forecast, because when it’s glassy and offshore, Tallebudgera can fire. But if you’re a beginner, steer clear of that 7 ft day.

Rusty.

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