Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you—this 16-day window for Tunnels is a flat spell punctuated by a few moments of "maybe." The overall pattern is small, weak, and cross-off winds, not the kind of thing that gets you out of bed before dawn. There's a noticeable gap with no real surf on offer from the start right through to the morning of Monday, July 20, when things finally get to "marginal" territory.

The first glimmer of something is Monday, July 20, in the morning. We're looking at a 3ft swell from the south with a 16-second period—that's a long-period groundswell, which means proper shape and energy, but it's also got a 14-second period on the secondary. The combined energy is moderate, sitting at 505. The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, which is a moderate breeze, so it'll be clean. The swell is small, so it's fine for intermediates, but the crowds are often there, so you'll be sharing. The swell direction from the south isn't the optimum SW for Tunnels, so it's not a standout. Still, it's the best of a quiet week.

The following days from July 21 to July 25 stay in the "marginal" zone with swell heights around 2ft to 3ft, mostly from the SSW, with periods dropping from 24 seconds down to 16 seconds. The combined energy buzzes along in the moderate range (400 to 977). The wind stays cross-off from the ENE, fresh to moderate breeze, so it's clean but not ideal. Nothing here is a standout.

The real standout, the one worth circling on the calendar, is Friday, July 31, in the morning. The forecast has a 2ft swell from the SW with a 17-second period. That's a long-period groundswell from the optimum direction for Tunnels (SW), and it's the only day where the data says "expect good surf conditions." The combined energy is a low 215, so it's not a powerhouse, but it's clean with a gentle breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. The water temperature hasn't been flagged as unusual, so it's about average for this time of year. This is a small, clean, sneaky-good session for intermediates who don't mind a small board. Keep in mind, crowds are often, so get in early.

The rest of the run into the first days of August drops back to poor-to-marginal, with tiny 2ft to 2ft swells and cross-off winds. The 16-day window ends with a whimper, not a bang.

Rusty.

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