The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead for The Wharf. This is a consistent reef break that usually has something on offer, but the conditions are just fighting it every step of the way for the next two weeks. The water temp is sitting at a warm 82°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won't be needing a thick wetsuit.

The outlook kicks off on Wednesday, July 22nd, with a clean 2ft south swell, but that 12 mph ENE cross-on wind is just chopping it all up. The next few days are a write-off: Thursday the 23rd has a bit more size at 4ft from the south, but the wind is messy. Friday and Saturday are more of the same – poor surf conditions with onshore winds ruining the potential. The swell energy is mostly moderate, hitting around 595 early on, but it’s all for nothing with the wind.

We get a bit of a pulse on Sunday the 26th with the swell pushing up to 6ft and the combined energy hitting 1025 – that’s solid wave energy. But it’s coming from the south with a 13-second period, and the wind is directly onshore at 12-15 mph, making it a complete mess. A 6ft south swell with onshore wind and a short period is just a washing machine. It’s honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now.

The whole first week is a bust. We’ve got a gap of several days here with no real recommendations. The only flicker of hope comes way down the line. On Sunday, August 2nd, the morning looks *marginal*. The swell is 4ft from the SW with a solid 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light 6 mph onshore, which is the best we’ve seen. The energy is robust at 918. This is the standout of the entire forecast, but it’s still a gamble. The long period (17 seconds) means it’ll be powerful and might wall up a bit at this reef break, but if that wind stays light, it could clean up. The crowds here are sometimes a problem, so if it comes good, expect a few heads out.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions. The following week, from the 3rd of August onwards, we’re looking at persistent cross-onshore winds and fresh breezes. The swell actually gets bigger around the 6th of August, hitting 5ft to 6ft from the south with a 16-second period, and the energy is strong – over 1700 – but with a 19 mph cross-on wind, it will be lumpy, choppy, and blown out. That’s expert-only territory if you’re desperate, but the quality is gone.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a total loss. The best shot we have is the morning of Sunday, August 2nd, with that 4ft, long-period SW groundswell and light wind. It’s a promising but less certain call. The rest of the 16-day window is just holding on for a change that doesn’t come. It’s a quiet period, but it tends not to stay poor for long around here.

Rusty.

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