Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

We’re looking at a solid run of south swell at Turtles over the next couple of weeks, but it’s not all clean sailing. The standout window is definitely the Wednesday to Thursday mornings (8th and 9th July) when the combo of a decent, long-period groundswell and light, clean offshore cross-off breezes lines up perfectly.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 74°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Let’s break it down. The first few days are a bit of a write-off. Saturday afternoon (4th July) has a weak 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period, but the cross-onshore wind has it all chopped up. The energy is low (1017), and it’s basically a pass. Sunday (5th July) starts with a similar story – 5ft SW swell at 16 seconds, but the wind swings cross-on and then gets moderate, making it messy. Afternoon? Forget it – 25 km/h cross-onshore and a score of zero.

Monday (6th July) morning improves a touch. The swell holds at 5ft from the WSW, and the wind turns cross-off, cleaning it up nicely. Energy is moderate at 819. Still marginal, but a step up. Monday afternoon gets a bump to 6ft WSW with a 16-second period, but a strong cross-shore wind and lumpy chop ruin it.

Tuesday (7th July) morning is where it starts getting serious. The swell jumps to 8ft from the WSW with a 15-second period, and the wind is cross-off. Combined energy hits 2525 – that’s strong. This is solid, powerful groundswell, but at 8ft in the afternoon, it’s only really for advanced surfers. The wind stays cross-shore, keeping it chunky.

Now, the highlight. Wednesday and Thursday mornings (8th and 9th July) are the pick. On Wednesday morning the swell is 6ft from the SW, 15-second groundswell, with a light 15 km/h cross-off breeze. Clean conditions, excellent for experienced surfers. Energy is 1576 – moderate to strong. Thursday morning is similar: 7ft from the WSW, 15-second period, light cross-off wind, and clean. Energy is 1811. This is the best surf of the forecast window – punchy, lined-up waves at a reef break that handles this direction nicely.

Friday (10th July) drops off a bit. Swell backs to 6ft from the WSW, but the period shortens to 13 seconds, and the wind howls at 30 km/h cross-off, making it clean but blown out. Energy drops (978). Probably skip it.

The weekend (11th-12th July) sees the swell drop to 4ft and 4ft with shorter periods. The Sunday morning looks interesting – 4ft from the SW, 13-second period, and a fresh 30 km/h offshore wind from the east. That’s clean and hollow in the right spots, but the size is tiny and energy low (610).

Looking further out, Monday 13th July morning is a promising call. Swell bumps back to 4ft from the WSW but with a delicious 17-second period – very long groundswell. Offshore wind at 25 km/h. Energy is solid at 1340. That combo could produce some beautiful, powerful lines at Turtles, especially as a reef break. It’s a longer-range standout, so keep an eye on it.

The rest of the second week sees a slow decline in swell size, with occasional clean windows but generally smaller. Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (15th and 16th July) have 4ft to 4ft WSW swells, light to moderate cross-off winds, and clean faces. Energy is low, but for a smooth longboard or a fun cruise, it’s fine. By the 18th and 19th July, the swell is gone – 2ft to 4ft, strong winds, just not worth paddling out.

Crowds are listed as “often” at Turtles, so when the swell lines up, especially on those Wednesday and Thursday mornings, expect a decent crew out. It’s a reef break that loves a long-period SW swell, so it’ll be drawing plenty of attention.

Bottom line: the best surf is Wednesday and Thursday mornings (8th and 9th July) for experienced surfers, with a solid 6-7ft WSW groundswell and clean cross-off winds. That’s the call.

Rusty.

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