The Left Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up.

The first half of this outlook is a bit of a slow grind, I'm not gonna lie. We've got some small to modest swell rolling in, but the wind and the quality just aren't lining up to give us much to get excited about. The water temp is sitting right on average for the time of year at 54°, so nothing weird going on there.

Let's break it down day by day. Monday the 6th starts with a bit of light rain and a 3 ft swell from the west, but it's a short-period 8 second wave with a cross breeze, so it's not really doing anything for us. The energy is weak (143). Monday afternoon actually looks cleaner with a cross-offshore wind and a 3 ft west swell (energy 205), but the data says the surf quality is poor, so I wouldn't bother paddling out.

Tuesday the 7th is better, but only just. Tuesday morning has a 4 ft swell from the west with a 9-second period (energy 264), but the wind is cross-onshore, which puts a wrinkle on it. It's marked as marginal at best. Tuesday afternoon is similar with a cross breeze.

Wednesday the 8th morning is where we finally get a small window. The wind swings cross-offshore, the swell holds at 4 ft from the west with a 9-second period, and the energy is a solid 239. Conditions are clean, and it's the first "good surf conditions" call in the window. This is our standout for the first week. The Left is a point break, and with that longer-period groundswell, the wave shape should be decent, though expect sets to be a bit spaced out. It's a fairly consistent spot, but you'll have company as crowds are possible.

That little window shuts fast. Wednesday afternoon the wind picks up and the period drops to a junky 6 seconds, turning it into a mess. Thursday the 9th stays marginal with the wind flicking around, and from Friday the 10th right through to Sunday the 20th of July, it's a long stretch of poor conditions. Swell sizes are tiny most days, often under 3 ft, and the wind is nearly always onshore or cross-onshore. The data just doesn't give us a reason to paddle out. There's a glassy morning on Monday the 13th, but the swell is only 2 ft, so there's nothing to ride.

Things look more interesting way out there, down the track. We jump to Monday the 20th of July, but that comes with a 6 ft swell and a strong 16 mph cross-onshore wind, which is just messy. The best call in the whole forecast period, though, is Tuesday the 21st of July. That morning you’ve got a 8 ft swell from the northwest with an energy reading of 762 – that's proper moderate-to-strong energy. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit bumpy and won't have the same grunt as a long-period groundswell, but the wind is light cross-onshore at 6 mph, keeping it surfable. Heed this: 8 ft is solid, pushing towards expert territory. This late call is promising, but being two weeks out, keep an eye on it. Tuesday afternoon holds similar size and energy, but the wind is a bit stronger.

So, my call? If you can get out on Wednesday the 8th morning, do it. That’s your best bet in the near term. For the long-range, keep your fingers crossed for Tuesday the 21st, but don't book the day off work just yet.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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