Third Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I'm gonna level with you—most of this 16-day stretch for Third Reef is a write-off. We’ve got a brutal run of poor conditions to start, with cross-onshore winds and sloppy, choppy surf. Honestly, the first week and a bit is all about waiting it out. There’s a big gap of days with really nothing to recommend, from this morning right through to Friday the 17th. You’re looking at a whole lot of nothing.

Alright, so the first flicker of hope shows up on Friday afternoon, the 17th of July. The wind goes totally glassy, and the swell bumps up to 7 ft from the NW. This is big, solid groundswell—over 8 ft means it’s experts-only, so this one’s for the experienced crew. The wave energy is strong (1170), and with that calm wind, the surface will be clean. It's not a standout, but it's the first real chance you'll get.

Now, let’s talk about the true standout of the whole window. Saturday the 18th of July is your day. Morning session is where it’s at. Glassy conditions with a light SW breeze, and the swell kicks to a solid 8 ft from the NW. That’s a very long-period groundswell at 9 seconds—not super long period, but enough to pack a punch. The wave energy is huge (2299), which is a massive amount of power moving through. This is big, clean, powerful surf for experts only. The swell direction (NW) lines up perfectly with the break’s optimum WNW. Crowds here can be an issue sometimes, so get out early. This is the one to aim for if you’ve got the skills.

After that, Sunday the 19th morning looks marginal with an onshore breeze, but Sunday afternoon gets glassy again with a smaller 3 ft SW swell and a very long 17-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, but at a beach-reef setup like this, that long period might make it break a bit too straight. Something to keep in mind.

Monday the 20th offers clean conditions with offshore and cross-off winds, with chest-high NW swell around 5 ft to 6 ft. Good for intermediates, but not a standout.

We finish up strong on Tuesday afternoon and all of Wednesday the 22nd. Tuesday afternoon goes glassy with a solid 7 ft NW swell (energy at 1132), and Wednesday the 22nd has glassy conditions all day with 7 ft NW swell (energy around 1059). Both are excellent for experienced surfers, but they’re in the second week, so treat them as promising but not locked in.

Water temp is sitting at 54°, which is about normal for this time of year—nothing crazy there.

Stay patient, save your energy for that Saturday the 18th. That’s the one.

Rusty.

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