The South Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for The South Jetty over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the first week is a hard watch. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, messy waves and poor conditions. From Wednesday 15 July right through to Saturday 18 July, it’s practically flat or just ankle-biters with crummy winds. You’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. The swell energy is weak, barely cracking 20 or 30 (combined energy 23 to 46), and the periods are all over the place but mostly short and weak. It’s not worth paddling out.

Things finally start to show a pulse on Sunday 19 July. The morning is still ordinary, but the afternoon brings a bit of hope. We get a south swell pushing about 4ft, period around 7 seconds, and the wind swings light offshore from the WSW. The water is sitting at 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a solid 4° above average, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home. The combined energy jumps to 220 (moderate), and the report says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s not going to be a classic, but it’s the first real window.

Monday 20 July has a glassy morning with a 3ft SSE swell, 9-second period, and energy at 131 (moderate). It’s clean but small. The afternoon gets chopped by a south wind though, so the morning is your best bet.

Tuesday 21 July sees a bit more size – about 4ft in the morning, but it’s cross-shore and messy. The afternoon pushes 6ft with a 7-second period and energy of 278 (moderate), but the wind is cross-offshore and it’s still only considered marginal. The bigger size (over 5ft) starts to push it beyond beginner territory, but for an intermediate, it’s a maybe.

The standout in this whole 16-day window? It’s Sunday 19 July afternoon. That’s the one time where the swell, wind, and conditions all come together best. The South Jetty (a beach/jetty setup) is exposed to the SE, and the swell is coming from the south, which is close to its optimum direction. The wind is light and cross-off, which should keep the faces reasonably clean. The crowd is listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out there, but it won’t be a zoo. Just keep in mind the period is short (7 seconds), so the waves will be a bit soft and lumpy, not the long, lined-up groundswell we’d dream of.

After that, the following week from Wednesday 22 July onward drops back into tiny, onshore, or choppy junk. The swell energy stays low (under 100 most days), and the wind is either cross-on or onshore. There’s nothing worth chasing in the second week – it’s a real flat spell. The best advice: if you’ve got a window, make it Sunday 19 July afternoon. Otherwise, take a break.

Rusty.

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