The Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cooking for The Jetty over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch.

First up, we’re looking at a pretty bleak run from Tuesday the 7th right through to the end of Sunday the 19th of July. That’s nearly two weeks with pretty much nothing worth paddling out for. The Jetty is a sandbar setup that needs a good combo of swell and wind, and it just ain’t getting it for a long time. The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is about 6° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s unusually warm, but that doesn’t help the surf.

Through that whole first stretch, the swell is tiny – mostly under 3ft, often down around 1.0ft to 2ft. The period is short, usually 5 to 7 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. The combined energy stays below 100 for most of it, showing how little power there is. Winds are all over the shop: cross, cross-on, sometimes onshore, sometimes offshore, but none of it matters when there’s no real swell to work with. The odd clean window shows up – like Friday the 10th morning with light WSW cross-off wind – but the swell is only 1.0ft, so it’s barely a ripple.

You’ll see a few little bumps of energy on Sunday the 18th of July. That Saturday morning the 18th, a southerly swell pops up to 6ft with an 8-second period and combined energy of 664, which is moderate to strong energy. The wind is light WSW cross-off, so it’ll be clean. But it’s closing out pretty fast for a beach break and the period is short, so it’s going to be a bit of a mess. That’s the only real standout in the whole 16 days, and it’s only rated as “expect good surf conditions” with a low score. The afternoon drops to 4ft with cross-shore wind and still not much quality. After that, Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th have some waist-high SSE swell with clean cross-off winds in the mornings, but it’s nothing special – 3ft to 2ft, energy dropping fast.

So to sum it up: the only window worth even looking at is that Saturday morning July 18th. The Jetty will have a 6ft southerly swell with light offshore wind, making for clean but short-period, dumpy waves. It might be okay for a beginner if you’re careful, but over 5ft, it’s getting a bit much for total novices. Crowds are possible at The Jetty – it does get busy sometimes – but with such a long flat spell, everyone will be keen. That’s your best bet, but don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty

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