Three Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

We’ve got a slow start across the whole 16-day window. The first few days are flat, really flat, with tiny knee-high dribble and no real energy to speak of. The water’s sitting at 20°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a nice bonus if you’re just going for a paddle, but for surfing, it’s not offering much.

From Wednesday 22 July through to Saturday 25 July, the swell is almost non-existent. The combined wave energy is barely registering, with a reading of just 12 early on, and it doesn’t break past double digits until the 25th. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell is tiny – 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft at best. The period is short, too, around 9 to 10 seconds, so no real push. The only positive is that on Thursday 23 July morning and Friday 24 July morning, the wind goes glassy, but with no swell, it’s a non-starter.

Things start to stir on Sunday 26 July. Swell builds to 5 ft early on from the west, with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 302 – that’s moderate wave energy. The problem is the wind. It’s a moderate cross-shore, then by afternoon it’s a fresh cross-onshore at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and messy. The swell’s there, but the quality’s poor. This swell is pushing into the 5 ft range, so it’s getting past beginner territory, but the wind is wrecking it.

The best chance we’ve got in this whole period comes on Saturday 1 August. The morning sees a clean 4 ft swell from the west-southwest, with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy hits 249 – that’s solid moderate energy. The wind is a cross-onshore at 20 km/h, which is not glassy but it’s workable, and the swell is holding up through the afternoon at 4 ft with 260 energy. This is the standout of the whole window. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only window where the swell size, period, and energy all line up as the best on offer. The crowds can be an issue here, especially on a weekend, so be ready for that.

Then Sunday 2 August keeps some push with a 5 ft swell from the west-southwest early, but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, and the period drops to 8 seconds. The energy is 300, so there’s plenty of water moving, but it’s a bit lumpy and the quality is still poor. The height is over 5 ft, so it’s not for beginners, and with the wind, it’s not the cleanest.

The following week, from Monday 3 August to Thursday 6 August, the swell stays around 4 ft to 5 ft, with periods between 7 and 9 seconds. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, but there are a couple of mornings with a light cross-shore, like Tuesday 4 August morning, where the energy is 292 and the wind is gentle. There’s a marginal chance on Monday 3 August afternoon and Tuesday 4 August afternoon, but the scores are low. By Thursday 6 August, the swell is fading fast, dropping to 1 ft by the afternoon, with glassy conditions but no energy.

Overall, this is a sparse run. The only real standout is Saturday 1 August, with that 4 ft west-southwest swell and moderate energy. It’s the best wave of the forecast, but it’s not a classic. The rest of the window is mostly small, wind-affected, or just not worth a paddle. Still, forecasts can change, and it’s been a quiet pattern, so don’t write the whole month off.

Rusty.

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