Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up, but there’s some real potential hiding in the second week for those who know what they’re doing. The main focus is Turtles, a heavy reef break that’s no place for the faint of heart. It’s fairly consistent, exposed to the SW swell, and loves a good SSW direction. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The action starts on Wednesday morning, the 15th of July. We see a solid 6 ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 1168 – that’s some decent power. The wind is a cross-off from the NNE, so the lineup should be clean. This is an excellent session for experienced surfers only, but it’s a real standout. The swell is at the top end of what’s manageable, and with a long period like that, the sets will have some punch. Expect it to be a bit shifty, but the rewards are there for the crew who earn it. Crowds are often an issue here, so get in early.

The rest of the first week doesn’t hold much. The wind turns onshore and choppy through the afternoons, and the mornings get a bit junky with cross-shore winds. Saturday the 18th is a write-off with rain and onshore slop, although Saturday afternoon shows a jump in energy to 1722 with a clean cross-off, but the score is still low. Sunday the 19th has the biggest swell of the period at 8 ft from the SW with a 16-second period and a massive 3137 energy reading, but it’s blown out by a fresh cross-off that’s just too strong. That’s serious power, but the wind ruins it. That’s a kite-surfing day if anything.

Monday the 20th through to Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell drop back to 4 ft to 5 ft, with clean conditions in the mornings but those winds are still 30 km/h from the SE. It’s surfable but marginal, and the energy levels are moderate (under 900). Not worth getting too excited about.

Now, here’s the real standout. Thursday the 23rd of July is the one to circle. The morning brings a fresh 6 ft SW swell at 16 seconds, with a 1946 energy reading, and the wind is pure offshore from the ENE at 30 km/h. That’s clean, powerful, and fast. This is a proper groundswell with a long period, so expect the waves to stand up nicely on the reef. It’s still only for experts, and with that offshore wind, it’ll be a battle getting out, but the waves will be world-class. The crowd will be there, but it’s worth it.

The next few days after that are a letdown. Friday the 24th is back to marginal, and Saturday the 25th has a tiny 4 ft swell with an offshore wind in the morning, but it’s just too small. There’s a gap of a few days of poor conditions.

On Monday the 27th of July, we get a weird one. A tiny 2 ft swell from the WSW but with an 18-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell. The energy is a moderate 546, but the wind is offshore from the ENE. For a reef like Turtles, that long period can make the waves wall up and break too straight, so it might be a bit weird. Still, it’s a clean, offshore morning and the score is high for a small day. For the experienced crew, it might be a sneaky, fun session if you pick the right peak.

The 16-day window then fades out with nothing special, mostly small, weak, or blown out. The last half of the month is a bit grim.

Bottom line: The standout is the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July at Turtles. That’s your best shot. The morning of the 15th is also excellent, but it’s a bit smaller. The 27th is a wildcard, but it’s worth a look if you’re a local.

Keep it salty, Rusty.

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