The Pines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what we’ve got coming down the line. It’s a bit of a slow burn to start, but there’s some serious muscle showing up later that’s got me excited.

First up, those early days are a write-off. For the first few days, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is there, but the wind is just junk—cross-on, choppy, poor quality. We’re talking Monday the 6th through Wednesday the 8th of July, and you’d be better off doing something else. The energy is there (moderate at around 1207 on Monday afternoon), but it’s wasted.

The first real glimmer comes Thursday the 9th of July. The swell drops back a touch, to around 5ft to 4ft from the SSW, but the wind swings light and clean, cross-off. It’s not a massive day, but it’s surfable and clean. That’s your first real chance to get wet.

Friday the 10th keeps that trend rolling. Nice, clean SSW swell, around 5ft to 5ft, with light offshore or cross-off winds. The water temp is sitting at about 59°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Now, Saturday the 11th is a mess—rain showers and bumpy wind (16 mph) make it unpleasant, despite some energy in the water.

But hold on, because Sunday the 12th of July is where things get serious for the experienced crew. We’ve got an 12ft SSW groundswell rolling in Sunday morning, period a solid 12 seconds, and the offshore wind is fresh (19 mph from the WNW) and clean. The combined energy is cranking at 5490 (strong to very strong). This is big, powerful surf—expert territory. The break, The Pines, is a reef setup, so the long-period groundswell will line up nicely, but the size means only the brave should be out there.

Then, the real standout. Monday the 13th of July is the one to circle on the calendar. A massive 20ft SSW swell shows up in the morning—period 16 seconds, very long-period groundswell. That’s a real life event. The combined energy is 27926, absolutely pumping. The wind is cross-off but clean, at 12 mph. This is a true big-wave day for experts only. At over 8ft, it’s not for beginners, and at 20ft, it’s for a very select few. The Pines is a reef break, and that long-period swell will grind down the reef beautifully, but it will be heavy.

The rest of that week stays solid—through the 14th, 15th, and 16th, we get steady 7ft to 10ft SSW swell, with very clean conditions, sometimes even glassy (like Wednesday the 15th morning and Thursday the 16th afternoon with slight air and glassy conditions). Those are your best bets for clean, punchy surf without the death-dropping size.

Towards the second week, around the 19th and 20th of July, the wind starts to howl again (28 mph offshore on the 19th morning), making it tough even with big swell. It’s there, but it’s a battle. The swell direction stays favourably SSW and SW.

So, bottom line: if you’ve got the skills, Monday the 13th of July is the all-time standout. If you want something a bit more user-friendly, grab Thursday the 9th, Friday the 10th, or the glassy days on the 15th and 16th. The Pines is a reef break that doesn’t break often, so when it’s on, it’s worth the wait. Expect crowds here sometimes because it’s a known spot for good waves.

Rusty.

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