Venus Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s a serious window of quality coming up for Venus Bay. This is a reef break that’s exposed to the swell, and it’s consistent, which is a good foundation. The water temperature is sitting at 59°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year – that’s pretty standard, nothing to get worked up about.

The first real chance to get wet is Thursday morning, 30 July. It’s clean, with a light offshore breeze from the ENE, and a solid 4ft SSW swell running at 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (852), and with that offshore wind, the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is a good beginner-plus spot, so it’s accessible, but don’t expect it to be empty – the crowds can show up here sometimes.

Friday morning, 31 July, the swell drops to 3ft, but it’s still a clean SSW groundswell with a 14-second period. The wind is cross-off from the NNE, so it’s not perfect, but it’s workable. The afternoon is where it gets interesting: the wind goes glassy, WNW at 3 mph, the swell is 2ft from the SW, and the energy picks up (489). That’s a great little session for a longboard or a funboard.

Saturday, 1 August, morning has a larger 4ft SW swell with a super long 18-second period. The energy is solid (826), but the wind is a strong 19 mph cross-off from the north. That’s a lot of breeze, but it’s offshore, so the waves will be clean on the face. The long period makes this better for a point or reef setup, which suits Venus Bay. It’s a bit more of a challenge, but still manageable for the confident intermediate.

Sunday, 2 August, is a write-off. Strong onshore and cross-shore winds, lumpy, messy – not worth your time.

The standout window is the morning of Thursday, 6 August. The forecast shows a 4ft SSW swell at 16 seconds (1098 energy) with a clean ENE offshore breeze. That’s the kind of setup that gets the heart pumping. It’s glassy, well-ordered, and the reef will be working properly. The following afternoon is also excellent – 5ft, 16 seconds, and a light cross-off from the SE. This is the best on offer in the whole 16-day run. If you only pick one block of time, make it that Thursday.

After that, the wind gets howling again from the north on the 7th and 8th – strong cross-off, but the swell drops. Then we hit a gnarly period from the 8th afternoon through to the 11th, with big swell (8ft to 10ft) and heavy onshore winds. The combined energy readings are massive (3982 to 4361), but it’s blown out and messy. This is big, powerful stuff – only for the experts, and even then, the wind is cruel. Probably better for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

The 12th and 13th offer a bit of a reprieve, with smaller swell and lighter winds, but nothing special. The 14th has a powerful 5ft SW swell with a 20-second period, but the wind is onshore, so it’s choppy.

To wrap it up: the first week has some real gems, especially the Thursday morning of the 6th. The second week is mostly a write-off due to strong winds and big, unruly swell. For a place that’s normally consistent, this run is a mixed bag – but that Thursday session is a true standout.

— Rusty

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