Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Turtles. It’s a reef break, exposed to the swell, and it’s very consistent, so there’s always something in the water. The water temp is sitting around 83°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Looking at the whole run, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There’s always some swell, but the wind is a constant cross-off from the southeast or east-southeast, which keeps the surface clean but never quite delivers that perfect glass. The real issue is the quality scores are low right through, so while there’s surf on offer, it’s not going to be the session of your life.

The first solid swell hits this Sunday afternoon, July 5th, with a 6 ft sea from the south, period around 14 seconds. That’s a groundswell, so the reef should be handling it nicely. Combined energy is a strong 1674. But the cross-off at 16 mph keeps it from being a standout. It’s rideable, but you’ll be working for it.

Monday the 6th drops slightly to 4.6 ft in the morning and 5 ft in the afternoon, with a longer 16-second pulse from the SSW coming through later. Energy still solid (1202 to 1252), but winds freshen to 19 mph. You’ll get clean lines, but that breeze is pushing.

Tuesday the 7th is more of the same – 4.6 ft to 5 ft SSW groundswell, 16-second period, but wind hits 22 mph by the arvo. Energy stays up (1091 to 1354). Still not the one.

Wednesday the 8th sees the swell bump to 6.2 ft in the morning, also from the SSW at 15 seconds, with energy spiking to 2015. That’s strong wave energy. But the wind is howling at 25 mph. This is getting into expert territory size-wise, and with that wind, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, at these sizes with a strong cross-off, this setup starts looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday the 9th through to Saturday the 11th stays in that 4 ft to 6 ft range, SSW to SW direction, periods between 13 and 15 seconds. Winds are a constant 16–22 mph cross-off. Energy drops a bit by Saturday (945 to 743). Not great, not terrible – just average.

Sunday the 12th sees a big drop. Morning has a weak 4.6 ft swell from the SE at a short 7 seconds (energy 539), and by the afternoon it’s a pathetic 2.3 ft. That’s a day to leave the board in the car.

Then comes the first real standout. Monday the 13th of July: the morning brings a 3.6 ft SSW groundswell with a very long 20-second period, energy at 1824. That’s a ton of energy for a small height – sets will be fat and clean, with big gaps between them. Paddling out will be easy, and the reef should shape those long-period lines beautifully. The afternoon jumps to 6.6 ft from the SSW at 19 seconds, energy skyrocketing to 3036. That is a serious amount of energy. The reef at Turtles is going to turn that into some proper, powerful waves. Wind is cross-off at 16–19 mph, so it’s clean. This is the best on offer: a proper long-period groundswell hitting the optimum SW direction. The only caveat – that 19–20 second period means it’s a very long groundswell, which can make beach breaks close out, but on a reef like Turtles, it should set up beautifully. It’s also pushing 6.6 ft, so it’s getting into expert territory. Crowds are listed as ‘sometimes’, so you might have a few others out, but it’s worth it.

Tuesday the 14th keeps the energy going with a 5.6 ft to 6.2 ft SSW/S swell at 16 seconds, energy around 1768 to 2225. Still good, but wind is 16–19 mph cross-off.

From Wednesday the 15th through Sunday the 19th, it settles back into a pattern of 4.3 ft to 6.6 ft SSW/SW swell, periods 14–16 seconds, winds 16–22 mph. Energy bounces between 890 and 1971. It’s consistent, but nothing jumps out.

Then Monday the 20th of July – the tail end – has a nice little moment. Morning sees a 5.2 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, with the wind dropping to a gentle 9 mph from the SSE. That’s almost glassy. The rating says “expect very good surf conditions,” and energy is 929. That’s your quieter, cleaner, more user-friendly window. The cross-off is still there but barely – you’ll get clean, peeling waves on the reef.

So overall, the best bet is Monday the 13th of July for that big, long-period groundswell on the reef – just be ready for powerful, expert-only peaks in the afternoon. The second highlight is the morning of Monday the 20th of July, when the wind drops right out and you get clean, fun

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