The Spit Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The Spit is a river mouth setup, exposed to the east, and it’s been a slow start. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands here.

The first real sign of life comes in on the morning of Friday the 10th of July, but it’s a mess. We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the SSE, but with a 12 mph cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a choppy, rain-soaked affair. The combined energy is pretty strong (1106), but the quality isn’t there for a good paddle. It’s a wait-and-see situation.

Then, out of nowhere, Saturday the 11th of July shapes up as the clear standout. Saturday morning starts with a glassy, clean sheet of water. The wind is dead calm, and the swell drops to a tidy 3ft, coming from the SE with a decent 10-second period. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is about average for this time of year. Honestly, that morning session is a gem. The afternoon only gets better – the swell bumps up to 4ft, still from the SE, but the period stretches to 12 seconds, giving it some real push. The wind is a light 3 mph offshore, keeping it glassy. The energy is moderate (619), and it’s going to be clean. For a beginner spot, this is as good as it gets.

Sunday the 12th sees a drop-off. The swell is smaller, around 3ft, and a moderate 12 mph cross-offshore wind from the WNW keeps things clean, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The energy is weak (182). This same pattern of small, clean but weak surf holds through the middle of the week. Monday and Tuesday have tiny 0.7ft to 1ft waves; it’s basically a flat spell.

We get a little bump on Wednesday the 15th afternoon, but it’s a short-period, lumpy 4ft from the SSE with a 19 mph cross-shore wind. The energy is still weak (118), and it’s not worth the paddle. The wind picks up even more on Thursday the 16th, with a 6ft swell from the SE, but a 19 mph cross-onshore wind makes it a total mess. The energy is moderate (296), but the conditions are horrible.

The following weekend, Saturday the 18th of July, throws a curveball. The morning has a solid 8ft swell from the ESE, and the combined energy is strong (1314). But the wind is a strong 19 mph cross-shore, and the size is getting too big for this break. The data says it’s predicted to be too big for this spot, so this one is for the experts only, and even then, the wind will be a battle. The afternoon is smaller but still messy.

After that, it’s a slow grind back down. The rest of the forecast into the second week is a mix of small, weak swells, mostly under 5ft, with onshore or cross-shore winds. There are a few glassy moments on the 23rd and 24th, but the waves are tiny, around 2ft to 3ft. The energy is consistently weak, under 150. Honestly, it’s a long stretch of poor to ordinary surf.

If you’re a kitesurfer, the windy, messy days like the 18th might look interesting, but for a paddle, it’s a tough run. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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