Tennis Courts Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watchin’ the charts for the local stretch. Let’s break it down.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a single standout spot that’s gonna do the talking for the whole 16-day window: Tennis Courts. This is an advanced reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent. The water’s sitting at 27°, which is pretty much bang on what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The first proper surf shows up Sunday morning, the 26th of July. We’ve got a 3 ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 30 km/h, so it’s gonna be a bit bumpy. The combined energy is a solid 1220, so there’s moderate power in the water, but the conditions are only marginal. It’s a tough call for a paddle, but it’s not a total washout.

Monday the 27th pushes up a bit, with 4 ft from the E in the morning and 5 ft in the afternoon, same cross-off wind. The energy dips to 927 then climbs to 1023, still moderate. But the real story starts early in the week.

Tuesday the 28th sees the swell building to 7 ft from the E, then 8 ft by the afternoon. That’s gettin’ into expert territory, especially with the wind still cross-off. The combined energy jumps to 1820 and 2553 – that’s strong wave energy. This is big, powerful stuff, but the wind is keepin’ it from being perfect. The period is 13 seconds, a nice long groundswell, which means better shape but longer lulls. For a reef, that’s a good thing – it’ll reel off nicely.

Now, Wednesday the 29th of July is the absolute standout. The morning is glassy, dead calm wind, with a 8 ft swell from the ENE. The period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s a bit shorter period, but the energy is 1597. The comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – and I’m feelin’ it. This is the one to mark on your calendar. Clean, glassy waves at 8 ft on a reef break. That’s proper. The afternoon drops off fast to 2 ft, so don’t sleep in.

Thursday the 30th is a mixed bag. Morning has a 5 ft swell from the ENE with a light cross-shore, but the afternoon shapes up with a 3 ft from the S and a light cross-off breeze. The energy is 644, and the comment says “very good surf conditions.” It’s not the big Wednesday, but for a smaller afternoon session, it’s a good call.

Then things get ugly. From Friday the 31st of July through to Monday the 10th of August, it’s a long stretch of poor surf. The wind hammers in from the ENE at 30–40 km/h, and the swell is either too small, too short period, or just messy. The energy is all over the place, but the scores are brutal. There’s a blip on Wednesday the 5th of August with 4 ft, but the wind is cross-off at 20 km/h – still not good. The only real chance is Tuesday the 4th of August, with a 5 ft from the ENE and a 12-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’s average at best. The combined energy is 735 – moderate.

Honestly, after the 29th, it’s a long wait. The gap from the 31st of July until the 10th of August is basically a dud. There’s some small swell in the second week, but the wind never lets up. The 10th of August has a 6 ft from the ENE in the morning, but the period is just 7 seconds – short, weak, and the wind is 25 km/h cross-off. Don’t get your hopes up.

The best of the whole run is without a doubt Wednesday morning, the 29th of July at Tennis Courts. Glassy, 8 ft from the ENE, strong energy, and a reef break that loves that direction. It’s a morning for experts, but it’s gonna be clean and powerful. Get on it.

Rusty.

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