The Wharf Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it's a pretty grim stretch ahead. The Wharf is a consistent reef break that's normally exposed to the south, but the wind is just not playing ball. We're looking at a long run of poor surf conditions, with the first real hit of swell coming in on Friday the 3rd of July, but it's a write-off with a 19 mph southerly wind making a mess of things. The water's sitting at 83°, which is about average for this time of year.

The pattern doesn't really let up. Through the weekend and into the first part of the following week, we've got waist to chest high swell from the south-southeast, but it's accompanied by a moderate to fresh cross-onshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate, with values around 500-1000, but it's all lumpy and choppy. There's a bit of a change on Tuesday the 7th of July where the wind swings offshore from the east-southeast, but by then the swell has dropped to a weak 3 ft, and the energy is low (241). It's not worth getting excited about.

The only flicker of hope comes late on Thursday the 9th of July. We get a long-period groundswell (17-18 seconds) from the southwest, pushing through with moderate energy (953). The swell is around 4 ft, but the wind is cross-shore, not clean. The score is a 1 out of 10 – it's marginal. This is about as good as it gets, but with a cross-shore wind, it's going to be a messy, frustrating session. The full day of Thursday and Friday the 10th of July offer the same story: a few pulses of SW groundswell, but the wind is never truly offshore.

After that, the swell just fades out. From the 12th of July onwards, we're looking at a solid week of tiny, weak waves (2 ft to 3 ft) with onshore or cross-onshore winds and moderate to fresh breezes. The energy drops into the 200-500 range, confirming it's weak. The 16th of July sees a brief spike in short-period (7s) windswell, but it's onshore and terrible.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is a small window on Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th of July. The Wharf will see a 4 ft to 4 ft southwest groundswell with a very long period (17-18s). That kind of period is a gift for a reef, meaning the waves will have shape and punch. But the cross-shore wind will chop it up, so it's more of a "maybe it's worth a look" than a "get in the car" situation. Unless you're desperate, this is a long, blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, it looks like a good time to wax the longboard and wait.

Rusty

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