Tippers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Alright, look, we’ve got a long window ahead but I gotta be straight with you – the surf is pretty marginal for most of it. The only break on the radar is Tippers, a reef setup that’s decent for beginners. Don’t get too excited just yet, because the forecast is full of “questionable tide conditions” and “poor surf” calls. There’s a big gap of nothing really recommendable for the first few days, and then we’re just waiting for a couple of windows of better energy.

The water temp at Tippers is sitting at a toasty 73°F, which is 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you’ll be surfing in a warm bath.

Starting off, Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th of July have tiny swell around 3 ft to 3 ft from the SW, with a solid 17-second period. The problem is the wind is onshore or cross-on, making it choppy. The energy is moderate (695 to 901), but honestly, the conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday the 21st sees a little bump in size to 4 ft from the SSW, still with a long 16-second period, but again, onshore winds mess it up. The energy is moderate (761). Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are much the same – small, onshore, with poor or marginal scores. The wave energy stays moderate (492 to 740).

Now, here’s a little glimmer. Friday the 24th of July into the weekend. The swell size drops to 2 ft, but the period jumps to a very long 24 seconds, and the energy spikes to strong (1002) on Friday morning. This is a proper groundswell. The wind is light and onshore, so it might be clean enough for a longboard. Remember, long-period swell like this can break a bit straight at a beach break, but Tippers is a reef, so it could handle it. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th continue with similar conditions: 3 ft to 4 ft, very long period (19-21 seconds), and strong energy (1159, 1150). The wind is light onshore. This is the best bet in the first week – small but clean, with that long-period energy making for some fun, cruisy waves.

The second week starts to get a bit more interesting in size. Monday the 27th to Wednesday the 29th of July has swell around 4 ft to 4 ft from the SSW, periods around 16-19 seconds, and strong energy (1022 to 1233). The wind is mostly light and onshore, so it should be clean. It’s still marginal, but the consistency is better.

Then, Thursday the 30th of July into Friday the 31st, things change. The swell jumps to 7 ft on Friday morning from the S, with a 15-second period. The energy is very strong (2249). By Friday afternoon, it’s 8 ft from the S, with energy at 2965. That’s heavy for beginners. The wind is light onshore or cross-on, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. This is only for experienced surfers, and it’s kicking off on the last day of July.

The first of August drops back to 7 ft to 7 ft from the S, with a shorter 12-second period. Energy is still strong (1269 to 1379). The wind is cross-on, so it’ll be choppy. Not the best.

By Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd of August, the swell fades away quickly to 1 ft with a long period. The energy drops to weak (254). It’s all over.

So, the standout here is the period from Friday the 24th of July through Sunday the 27th of July. It’s not big, but the very long-period groundswell combined with light onshore winds will give Tippers some clean, fun little waves. The energy is strong, and the reef will handle that long period better than a beach. It’s the best on offer, but still, manage your expectations. Crowds are possible at Tippers.

After that, Friday the 31st of July has the biggest swell (8 ft), but it’s a heavy, strong wave (energy 2965) and only for experts. For the rest of us, it’s a long wait for a small window.

Rusty.

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