38 Line Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window for 38 Line is a real struggle. The surf is tiny, the energy is weak, and the conditions are mostly poor. There’s no standout session, no proper swell to get excited about. It’s a flat spell, and we’ve got a long gap before anything even starts to look like a wave.

The water’s sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only positive.

Let’s walk through it. The whole first week is a write-off. From Saturday 11 July right through to Tuesday 14 July, we’re looking at waves between 0.3 ft and 1 ft, with periods of 3 to 6 seconds. Combined energy is barely registering – mostly single-digit figures (3, 7, 6, 1, 5, 3). The wind is a mix of cross and cross-on, with a few glassy moments early Tuesday morning, but the swell is just too small to do anything. It’s poor surf, no question.

Wednesday 15 July is the only blip in the first week. The morning brings 3 ft from the SE at 6 seconds, with a cross-shore breeze at 9 mph. Combined energy jumps to 59 – still weak. Then Wednesday afternoon sees a bump to 6 ft from the SSE, with a period of 6 seconds, and energy climbs to 331 – that’s moderate energy. But the wind is a cross-shore at 12 mph, and it’s choppy. The surf conditions are still poor. That’s a messy, blown-out afternoon, not a clean session. Not a recommendation.

After that, it drops away again. From Thursday 16 July through to Friday 24 July, it’s flat or near-flat. Waves are 2 ft and under, with periods of 4 to 6 seconds, and energy values are in the single digits or low teens. There are a few glassy mornings, like Thursday 16 July morning and Monday 20 July morning, but the swell is just not there. On Saturday 18 July, we get a little 1.0 ft N swell, but it’s tiny. This is a long, dry gap of about 9 days with no real surf.

Then, on Friday 24 July, we get something. Friday afternoon brings 4 ft from the N at 7 seconds, with a light cross-on breeze at 6 mph. Combined energy is 111 – moderate. It’s still not great, but it’s the biggest swell in the whole forecast. The morning of Friday 24 July has 3 ft from the N at 6 seconds, with a light cross-shore breeze, and energy of 49. Both are poor surf conditions, though. The wind is not offshore, and the period is short. It’s not a winner.

The last few days, from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 26 July, are back to tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft waves with weak energy. The glassy Sunday morning on 26 July looks clean, but there’s nothing to ride.

So, honestly, the best of a bad bunch is Friday 24 July afternoon, with 4 ft from the north and moderate energy (111). But even then, the wind is cross-on, the period is short, and the conditions are poor. There’s no standout. If you’re desperate, you could paddle out on Wednesday 15 July afternoon for the biggest swell, but it’s going to be choppy and messy, and that 6 ft, short-period swell at a beach break like 38 Line might be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. The long-range stuff is too far out and too uncertain to get excited about.

Keep an eye on it – forecasts can change, and this area can fire up. But for now, the board stays in the car.

Rusty.

Read more