Temples Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Temples, our only real option on the board, are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of consistent, clean offshore winds, but the swell is mostly on the smaller side or a bit too short-period for the setup to really fire. This is a reef and point break, and it’s fairly consistent, so it’s not all doom and gloom. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off on Monday, July 20, with a decent pulse of groundswell. The morning sees a 5ft SW swell pushing in from the sweet spot, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s proper long-period energy. The combined energy is a hefty 2087, so the ocean’s got some real grunt. The wind is a fresh ESE offshore, keeping things clean. It’s rated for advanced surfers, and with that size, it’s borderline for many, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, it’s got potential. The afternoon bumps up to 7ft from the SSW, with a very long 16-second period and even more energy (2321). That’s a lot of water moving, but the wind stays strong offshore. The reports say “marginal,” so don’t expect perfection, but there’ll be waves.

Tuesday, July 21, settles a touch but stays clean. Morning swell is 6ft from the SSW, 14 seconds, with that same fresh ESE breeze. Good enough for a few. The afternoon drops to 5ft, and the energy is still solid (1193). The rest of the week from Wednesday, July 22, through to Saturday, July 25, sees the swell drop and wobble around 3ft to 4ft. The wind stays offshore, but the period fluctuates, with a notable 17-second period on Friday afternoon (July 24) that might give those long, walled-up lines at the point. The energy is moderate (around 800-1000), so it’s not a nothing burger, but it’s a “leaner” session.

The weekend of July 26-27 takes a downturn. We get a shift to a short-period SE swell, only 8 seconds, with the swell height around 5ft to 6ft. The wind strengthens to 22-25 mph, which is a strong breeze. The reports say “hard to paddle into” and the combined energy is weak (442-788). This is a classic case of a beach-break-like chop that doesn’t suit the point. Honestly, with that much wind and short-period junk, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Avoid it.

Then the good news starts to roll in. From Monday, July 28, the swell direction swings back to the SSW, and the periods start to get long again. The 28th is small (3-3ft, 16 seconds), but the 29th shows a jump to 5-5ft, 14-15 seconds, with energy climbing back over 1000. The wind is still a clean offshore. It’s building.

The real standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31. Thursday morning (July 30) has a 5ft SSW swell, 13 seconds, with a moderate 16 mph offshore breeze. The energy is 1658, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” The afternoon gets even better: 5ft, 16 seconds, and a huge 1751 energy. Friday, July 31, is the absolute pick. The morning is glassy – a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze, 4ft from the SSW, and a very long 18-second period. The energy is 1731. That’s the kind of juice that makes a reef and point like Temples absolutely sing. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate breeze. This is advanced territory, and with that size, it’s manageable for the crew. Crowds are possible at Temples sometimes, but with conditions this good, expect a few more locals out. The swell direction (SW/SSW) is bang on the optimum.

The first week of August (1st through 4th) holds similar size (4-5ft) and solid periods (15-17 seconds), with clean offshore winds. Energy remains moderate to strong (856-1616). The morning of August 4 has a report saying “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s a solid run of clean, consistent surf.

Alright, bottom line: the first week is for the committed, with a few decent windows. The true standout is the end of July – Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st – with the best combination of peaky, long-period swell and glassy offshore winds. Get out there.

Rusty.

Read more