The Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's break down what's cooking for The Bowl. I'll be honest, the next two weeks are a rollercoaster. We've got waves coming, but the wind is going to be a real bastard for a lot of it. You've got to pick your window.

The first week is dominated by that moderate, choppy cross-onshore wind, which will keep things messy. There's NW swell around, but the wind just won't let it clean up.

Saturday the 18th starts with a 4ft NW swell with a period of 8 seconds (combined energy of 137), but it's a dud under the NNW cross-onshore breeze. Sunday's no better, with the swell smaller and the wind going cross-shore. Monday and Tuesday see the swell push up a bit – from 4ft to 6ft – and the energy is building (combined energy of 261 on Monday), but the wind stays onshore or cross-shore and lumpy.

We get a big pulse of energy on the morning of Friday the 24th of July. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds (combined energy of 914), and we get a clean, cross-off wind. That's a serious swell, well over 8ft, so it's expert territory only. The reef will be heaving. Even then, the afternoon goes back to a messy cross-shore. Saturday the 25th is similar – big, 8ft swell but cross-shore wind.

Things start looking better towards the end of the first week into the second. The morning of Monday the 27th of July is our first real chance. The swell is 6ft from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds (combined energy of 473), but the key is the light cross-off wind. The report says clean. That's your best bet for a session with some decent size and shape.

Then, on Tuesday the 28th of July, we get a real beauty. The morning is glassy. Completely dead calm. Swell is 4ft from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds (combined energy of 260). It's not massive, but with zero wind and a good period for a reef break, The Bowl would be glassy perfection. You’d be crazy to miss it.

There's another good one further out. Sunday the 2nd of August sees the wind drop out again in the morning, with a 5ft WNW swell and a 9-second period (combined energy of 350). Glassy. Come afternoon, the wind goes cross-off from the ESE, keeping it clean. That's another day to circle.

So, to sum it up, the first week is mostly a write-off because of the wind, despite the swell. The mornings of Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th of July are the clear winners. That Tuesday morning is the absolute pick of the bunch for a clean, fun-sized session on that reef. The second weekend into August also looks promising, especially that glassy Sunday. Expect some company out there though.

Rusty

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