Thompsons Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Thompsons Bay is lookin’ at a pretty tough run for the next couple of weeks. There’s a whole lot of junk between now and the start of August, so settle in for a long wait.

Right now, the water’s sittin’ at 73°, which is a tick warmer than usual for this time of year – not a huge deal, but it’s noticeable. The first real potential shows up on Monday the 20th of July, but honestly, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 6ft SE groundswell with a 12-second period, but the wind is a messy 16 mph cross-onshore from the SSW, and it’s choppy as hell. Combined wave energy is strong at 1158, but the quality is just poor. That same swell hangs around into the afternoon with a lighter 3 mph onshore breeze, but the tide’s gonna mess with it – not worth paddlin’ out.

Tuesday the 21st through to Friday the 31st is a bleak stretch. Swell drops off, winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the ratings are all in the gutter. There’s a big gap here with no decent recommendations – over a week of frustration. The wind never really lets up, and even when the swell size pops up – like an 8ft S swell on Friday the 24th – the 19 mph cross-onshore makes it a total mess (combined energy 1271). It’s the kind of setup that’d be more interesting for kite surfing than paddling.

Saturday the 1st of August is the stand-out, but it’s a long way off. We’ve got a solid 13ft SSW swell with a 10-second period rollin’ in. The morning is glassy – not a breath of wind – and the combined energy is massive at 3017. That’s a powerful, clean groundswell, but it’s big, so only for experienced surfers. The long 10-second period means better-shaped waves, but at a beach break like Thompsons Bay, it might close out a bit. Still, that morning glass is about as good as it gets around here.

Sunday the 2nd of August follows up with an 12ft S swell, period 10 seconds. The morning has a light NNE cross-off breeze at 9 mph, keepin’ it clean, and the energy is still strong at 2964. Another one for the crew who know what they’re doin’. The afternoon fades with a cross-shore chop.

Monday the 3rd of August morning sees a 8ft SSW swell, period 11 seconds, with a 19 mph cross-off breeze from the NE – clean but getting windy, energy at 2822. It’s still good for the experienced surfers, but the window is tight. After that, it’s back to lumpy junk again.

So, to sum it up: the next week and a half is a write-off. The real action is in the distance on the 1st and 2nd of August – those mornings are your best bets, but it’s a long-range call, so don’t lock it in yet. For the patient locals, that glassy 13ft swell is the one to dream on.

Rusty.

Read more