Venus Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been looking at what’s on the cards for Venus Bay. It’s a reef break that’s consistent and works best on a south-west swell, so it’s got some solid potential, but the wind is going to be a bit of a handful for a lot of the forecast period. The water temperature is sitting at 59°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year – nothing wild, just a touch on the chilly side, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

We kick off on Saturday the 1st with a bit of a fizzer, I’m sorry to say. The swell is there at 4ft from the SW, period 17 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, so there’s energy in the water (combined energy of 959 – moderate). But the wind is a cross-shore NNW at 25 km/h, leaving it choppy and messy. The forecast says poor, and I’m not going to argue. Sunday the 2nd is more of the same: moderate swell, but the wind is all over the place, and the morning session is a write-off. The afternoon on Sunday sees a shift to a WSW wind at 25 km/h, blowing straight onshore – that’s not going to clean anything up.

Monday the 3rd is still a bit of a struggle. The morning has a cross-onshore wind and a 5ft SW swell with a period of 14 seconds, but the combined energy is up to 1349 – it’s there, it’s just not clean. We’re still in marginal territory.

Alright, let’s talk about the good stuff. Tuesday the 4th is where it gets interesting. The morning session has a light offshore wind from the ENE at 15 km/h, and the swell is 4ft from the SW, period 16 seconds. The combined energy is 792, and the conditions are clean. The afternoon is even better: glassy conditions with a WSW wind at just 5 km/h, and a 3ft SW swell with a 15-second period. Combined energy is 577. This is the standout of the whole run – the wind is light, the swell is clean, and the reef will be handling that long-period energy nicely. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th keep the window open with clean conditions. Wednesday morning has a 2ft SW swell with a long 19-second period (combined energy 556), and a cross-off wind from the NNE at 15 km/h. It’s small but clean. Wednesday afternoon picks up a bit to 3ft with an 18-second period and a cross-off from the north at 20 km/h. Thursday morning is similar: 3ft SW swell, 16-second period, and a light cross-off from the NNE. All good for a paddle.

Friday the 7th brings a bigger swell – 5ft from the SW, period 18 seconds (combined energy 2150 – getting strong!). The wind is a cross-off from the north at 25 km/h, and it’s clean. The morning session is the better bet here, but the afternoon is still clean with a 5ft swell. This is a solid option for experienced surfers, as the size is starting to push.

Now we hit a rough patch. From Saturday the 8th through to the end of the second week, the wind is a major problem. We’ve got strong cross-shore and onshore winds, blowing 30-45 km/h, and the swell gets big – up to 10ft on Sunday the 9th, with a combined energy of 2956, but it’s all onshore and messy. Through Monday the 10th, we’ve got 8ft SW swell (combined energy 3934) with a cross-onshore wind – this is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one. The swell is big and powerful, but the wind is ruining the face.

There’s a brief glimmer on Saturday the 15th. The morning session has a light cross-off wind from the north at just 5 km/h, and a 5ft SW swell with an 18-second period, combined energy 2232. The forecast says excellent for experienced surfers, and I’d agree – it’s clean, the swell is solid, and the reef will handle that long period. But it’s a long way out, so take it with a pinch of salt. The afternoon on the 15th turns messy again, and Sunday the 16th is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds.

So, to wrap it up: the best surf is on Tuesday the 4th, with glassy conditions and a clean 3ft SW swell. The following week has some decent windows on Wednesday the 5th, Thursday the 6th, and Friday the 7th, but the wind is the key. The second week is rough, with only a potential morsel on Saturday the 15th morning. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, get your fix in those first few days.

Rusty

Read more