Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a pretty grim stretch ahead, to be honest. The swell is small and the wind is a persistent cross-off from the ENE, which is not ideal. There’s a solid gap of poor surf right through the start, from now until Tuesday the 22nd of July. The waves are tiny, mostly around 1ft to 3ft, with a very long period swell that’s just not wrapping in with any punch. The combined energy is moderate at best – around 200 to 495 – but it’s all just slop. The water is about average for this time of year.

Things get a little more interesting starting Wednesday morning, the 22nd of July. That’s when we finally see a slight bump in the SSW swell direction, which is what Tunnels likes. The swell size is still small, only 2ft, but the period is a massive 24 seconds. That’s very long period groundswell, and at a spot like Tunnels, an exposed reef, that long period energy can really focus up and produce some clean, lined-up waves. The wind is still a cross-off from the ENE at 30 km/h, but it’s forecast "clear." The combined energy jumps to 646, which is solid moderate. This is our first real standout.

The best of the bunch looks like Thursday the 24th of July afternoon. The swell is 3ft from the SSW, period drops to 17 seconds, but the combined energy hits 854 – that’s the highest we see. The wind is still cross-off, but the wave state is "clean." For a spot like Tunnels, that’s a decent combo. The Friday the 25th of July morning also shows promise, with 3ft SSW swell, 19-second period, and 791 energy.

After that, the swell slowly fades. By the end of the month and into early August, the energy drops back into the 100s and 200s, and the surf is back to being poor. The last week of the forecast is a write-off.

So, to sum it up: the first real chance to get wet is on Wednesday the 22nd of July, but the standout is the afternoon of Thursday the 24th of July. Is it pumping? No. But for Tunnels, with that long period SSW swell and clean conditions, it’s the best we’ve got. Don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

Read more