Terra Mar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for Terra Mar over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up – it’s a bit of a slow burner. The first ten days or so are pretty underwhelming, with mostly small, messy, cross-onshore slop. The swell energy is low to moderate, and the wind just won’t get out of the way. We’ve got a long gap of poor-to-marginal conditions before anything really starts to shape up. The standout window appears to be around the 24th and 25th of July, when a bigger pulse of S swell arrives, but even then, the wind is cross-onshore, keeping things from being truly clean. For a beginner-friendly point break like Terra Mar, the wind is a real letdown for most of the run.

Let’s start with the early part. Tuesday the 14th, we’ve got a tiny 1ft SW swell, but with a cross-on W wind, it’s just choppy and weak. The water is sitting at 72°, which is a whopping 5° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, so you’ll be in for a warm one if you go in. The combined energy is only 254 (weak), so don’t expect any push. Wednesday and Thursday the 15th and 16th are similar, with onshore winds and 1ft to 2ft SW swell. It’s poor.

Friday the 17th through to the 22nd of July is a long stretch of the same story. Swell sits between 1ft and 4ft, but the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore from the SW, WSW, or S. The combined energy climbs a bit, hitting 932 (moderate) on the 19th, but it’s still accompanied by a gentle cross-onshore breeze. The comments all say “poor surf conditions” or “marginal.” Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Things start to change a little around the 23rd of July. On Thursday afternoon, we get a 4ft S swell with a period of 14 seconds, and the wind swings cross-shore from the SSE. That’s the first real sign of something better. The combined energy is 841 (moderate), and the score is a 2. It’s still marginal, but it’s a step up.

Now, the best on offer is from Friday the 24th of July through to Sunday the 26th of July. Friday morning sees a 6ft S swell with a period of 14 seconds and light cross-onshore wind from the WSW. The combined energy is 1384 (strong). That’s a solid bump. The swell is getting up toward 7ft in the afternoon, and by Saturday the 25th morning, it’s 8ft from the S. That’s getting into expert-only territory – over 8ft is only for the experienced crew. The combined energy peaks at 2897 on Saturday morning, which is very strong. However, the wind is still cross-onshore from the W, so expect some chop. The period is 14 seconds, which is a decent mid-period groundswell. It’s a classic S swell, and for a point break like Terra Mar, that’s a good direction. The crowds are “sometimes” a factor here, so you might have company, but the quality is the best of the run. Saturday afternoon is similar, with 8ft from the SSW. Sunday the 26th morning drops back to 3ft but with a very long 19-second period from the SSW. That’s a proper long-period groundswell, and on a point break, that can produce some beautiful, lined-up waves. The combined energy is 1251 (strong), and the wind is light onshore from the SW. It’s still marginal, but the potential is there.

After that, from Monday the 27th to Wednesday the 29th of July, we’re back to 4ft to 4ft SW/SSW swells with onshore winds. The energy is moderate, and the comments are all “marginal.” The consistency at Terra Mar is “fairly consistent,” so it’s not a spot that goes completely dead, but you’ll be scratching for a decent wave in this stretch.

Overall, the pick of the period is the 24th and 25th of July – that S swell is the standout, with strong energy and the best wave height. Just be aware of the cross-onshore wind and the size. For the more experienced, the 26th morning with that long-period groundswell could be a gem if the wind holds.

Rusty.

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