Tubes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let's have a look at what's comin' our way at Tubes.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start for the first couple of days. Tuesday morning sees some waist-high swell at 5 ft from the ESE, but it's a cross-off breeze so nothing too clean. The water is sitting at 64°, which is over a degree and a half colder than usual for this time of year – you'll feel that sting on the paddle out. The combined energy is moderate (481). Tuesday afternoon drops right off, so not worth the effort. Wednesday is pretty flat too, with only a tiny 1 ft swell in the morning.

Things start to wake up from Wednesday afternoon though, with a clean 5 ft from the SW and a gentle offshore. That's a nice, surfable wave. But the real standout is Thursday morning, the 16th of July. That's the one you want to circle. We get a glassy 10 ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 14 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping – a strong 3140. This is proper, powerful stuff. It's in the expert-only zone, especially for a spot like Tubes, which is a reef and point setup. That long-period groundswell will draw lines perfectly down the point, giving you long rides and easy paddling between sets. This is the best call of the whole run.

Friday the 17th keeps the energy up with more 10 ft SW swell in the morning, but it's cross-off, so not as clean as Thursday. Friday afternoon cleans up with a light offshore, but it's still big at 8 ft. Saturday the 18th morning is a write-off with onshore wind and a big 7 ft S swell – that looks more like a kitesurfing session than a paddle. Saturday afternoon goes glassy, so there'll be clean lines on the 6 ft S swell.

Sunday the 19th morning is a nice, clean option at 5 ft from the SSE, good for a fun session. The afternoon jumps up to 10 ft WSW with a moderate offshore, but it's short-period (7 seconds), so a bit crumbly. From Monday the 20th into Tuesday the 21st, we've got big 10 ft plus SW swell but the wind gets tricky with onshore or cross-onshore, making it messy.

Now, the absolute beast of the forecast lands on Wednesday the 22nd of July. The afternoon session is a monster: 15 ft SW groundswell with a 14-second period, and a solid offshore wind. The combined energy is a colossal 13169. This is exceptional, dream-like stuff, but only for the most experienced. Unless you've got nerves of steel and a tow-in rig, it's a spectator sport.

The rest of the run sees a lot of big swell, but wind is often the spoiler. Late July, Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th, look promising again with clean 10 ft+ SW swells and light or offshore winds. There are a few solid sessions in there, but nothing beats that first Thursday the 16th.

So, to sum it up: the jewel in the crown is Thursday the 16th of July, morning session at Tubes. Get on it. The second highlight is the absolute big-wave day on Wednesday the 22nd of July afternoon for the crew who can handle it. For the rest, pick your windows wisely.

Rusty.

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