Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's cooking on our local stretch.

We've got a bit of a mixed bag ahead. The first couple of days start off alright, but then a run of stronger onshore winds rolls in that'll make things messy for a good while. It's only really the opening Wednesday morning that's got any real sparkle, and then we're looking at a long wait until the very end of the month for something promising to return.

Alright, let's get into it.

Wednesday 15 July is your best bet by a long shot, at least for a while. The morning session at Tunnels is where you want to be. We've got clean conditions with a light E breeze at 6 mph, glassing things up nicely. Swell is a modest 3 ft coming from the W, which is spot on for this place, with a solid period of 15 seconds – that's proper groundswell energy. It'll push through with some real shape, and the combined energy is sitting at a decent 455. The water temperature is 26°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is the standout of the whole outlook. Crowds are often a thing here, so expect company.

The afternoon gets a bit dicey as the wind shifts cross-off and picks up, making it more marginal.

Thursday 16 July onwards is where it gets tough. From Thursday right through to the end of the month, the wind is clocking in from the ENE, mostly in the 15 to 19 mph range. That's a stiff cross-off breeze that's just going to chop things up. The swell sticks around in the 2 ft to 3 ft range, but with that wind, it's going to be poor. The energy is moderate at times – hitting over 500 on Friday afternoon – but it's completely wasted with the wind on it.

There's a real gap from Thursday morning all the way through to Wednesday 30 July. For over a week, the recommendation is either poor or marginal at best. The only thing worth noting in that stretch is that on Wednesday 22 July, we get a very long-period groundswell from the SSW at 24 seconds, with strong energy of 715. But with the wind howling at 19 mph, it's a write-off for paddle surfing. If you've got a kite, that might be interesting at a beach setup, but for a regular stick, it's not happening.

Wednesday 30 July finally gives us something to look forward to, but it's a long way out. The morning is showing another clean window with a light NE breeze at 6 mph. The swell is small, just 1 ft, but it's from the SSW with a very long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy is 235, which is moderate. At that size, the very long period might mean some long lulls, but when a set comes through at a spot like Tunnels, it could offer up some clean little lines. It's a promising call for the end of the month, but we've got a lot of windy days to get through first.

So, to wrap it up: grab Wednesday 15th morning for the best waves on offer. Then hunker down for a long flat and windy spell. The very end of the month might just offer a little clean-up cruise, but it's one to keep an eye on.

Rusty.

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