Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Vetchs Reef. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s something on the horizon if you’re patient.

The first week is pretty quiet. The wind is mostly light and variable, but the swell is puny and short-period, offering waves around 1 ft to 2 ft from the ENE. The combined energy is weak, sitting at just 23 to 37 (weak energy), so there’s really nothing to get excited about. This is a reef break that rarely breaks anyway, and for the first few days, it’s just not happening.

We finally see a pulse of energy arrive on Sunday, July 12th, with a bump in swell to 4 ft from the ESE, but it’s a short 6-second period and the wind is cross-onshore, making for choppy, messy conditions. The combined energy climbs to 115 (moderate wave energy), but the quality is poor. Not worth paddling out.

The real window opens on Monday morning, July 13th. The swell picks up to 5 ft from the ESE, with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. This is the first real standout. The combined energy is 256 (moderate wave energy), and the conditions are clean. It’s a rare break anyway, so getting a glassy morning at Vetchs Reef is a true treat. The water temperature is 72°F, which is about average for this time of year.

Tuesday, July 14th, offers another solid option, especially in the morning. Swell is 4 ft from the SE, period 9 seconds, with a clean cross-off wind from the S. The combined energy jumps to 410 (moderate wave energy), and it’s looking good. The afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, but the morning is the pick.

Wednesday, July 15th, sees a bigger swell of 6 ft from the ESE, with a 10-second period and the combined energy hitting 778 (moderate wave energy). However, the wind is cross-on from the NE, which creates some wind ripples and makes it look a bit messy. It’s a marginal call, but for the brave, there’s some juice.

As we head into the second week, the outlook gets more mixed. Thursday, July 16th, has a clean morning with a 4 ft swell from the E and a 11-second period, giving it longer gaps between sets. The combined energy is 564 (moderate wave energy), but by the afternoon, the wind howls up to 19 mph from the S, making it lumpy. Crowds are possible here, especially on the cleaner days.

The following weekend, July 19th and 20th, brings a very inconsistent picture. The swell drops back down to 3 ft, but then on Sunday afternoon, July 19th, a big pulse of 8 ft ESE swell arrives with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 1071 (strong wave energy). That’s a big number, but it’s over 8 ft, so it’s for experts only, and the wind is light cross-on, which isn’t ideal for a reef.

The final days of the outlook, from July 20th to 24th, are mostly dominated by strong cross-on winds from the NE, with swell sizes ranging from 4 ft to a massive 10 ft. The combined energy on July 24th hits 2365 (strong to very strong wave energy), but the wind is howling at 16 mph from the NE, creating heavy chop. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

So, to sum it up: the best bet is Monday morning, July 13th, for that rare, glassy, clean session. Tuesday morning, July 14th, is another solid call. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. It’s a rare spot, so when it lines up, you’ve got to be on it.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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