The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get real about The Harbour.

The Harbour (beach/groyne) – The outlook

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you. This forecast is a bummer. For the first week and a half, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. The Harbour is a fairly consistent spot, so it’s a bit of a shock to see such a long dry spell. From Wednesday the 22nd of July right through to Saturday the 1st of August, it’s pretty much flat. The swell is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and the wave comment keeps saying "poor surf conditions." There’s a few days in there with clean, glassy conditions or light offshore winds, but with swell heights barely scraping 2 ft and periods of 4-6 seconds, there’s just no energy to work with. The combined energy is almost always in the single digits, which is weak. It’s a classic case of "the ocean is a lake."

But then, things get a bit interesting. On Sunday the 2nd of August, something finally shows up. The morning kicks off with a 6 ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 6 seconds and a combined energy of 263 (moderate). That’s the most energy we’ve seen in the whole 16-day window. The wind is cross-off from the SSE at 9 mph, keeping things clean. The afternoon drops a bit to 4 ft, but the energy is still solid at 222. This is the standout, and the only real window of opportunity. The Harbour is exposed to swell, and the optimum direction is from the SE, so this ESE swell is close enough to work. It’s not a long-period groundswell by any means, but it’s the biggest waves on offer. The water temperature is around 57°, which is pretty normal for the time of year, so don’t expect any thermal surprises.

After that brief pulse, the swell fades fast. Monday the 3rd of August sees the swell drop back to 2 ft-3 ft with weak energy, and the rest of the week is back to the same poor conditions. The long-range forecast after the 2nd is a return to the same flat spell, so don’t hold your breath.

So, overall, the only day worth getting excited about is Sunday the 2nd of August. The Harbour will have some clean, punchy waves in the morning, but with a 6 ft swell, it’s going to be a bit much for beginners. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes," so you might have some company. The rest of the 16 days? A write-off. It’s a tough one, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The Harbour is fairly consistent, so this shouldn’t last forever, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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