Watergate Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer here at Watergate Bay. To be straight with you, it’s a bit of a tough watch. We’ve got a 16-day window stretching out from now, and honestly, the first solid, rideable surf isn’t going to show up for a while. There’s a big gap of quiet, small, and messy conditions to get through first.

We’re starting off with pretty much nothing. Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are a write-off – tiny 1ft to 3ft of weak, bumpy swell with a persistent cross-onshore wind. The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only positive. The combined energy is weak, reading just 66 on Tuesday morning, and it’s all poor surf conditions. Thursday and Friday don’t offer any relief either; the swell stays small and the wind keeps that cross-onshore chop in the mix. Saturday the 25th sees a bit of a bump in the afternoon, with 3ft from the WNW, but that 16 mph cross-onshore wind will ruin it.

Sunday the 26th is the first time we see a bit of push in the water. The morning brings 5ft from the WNW, but it’s a short-period 6 seconds and the wind is howling onshore at 19 mph, so it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. The combined energy jumps to 181 (moderate), but the conditions are still poor. Monday the 27th is a bit more interesting with a 3ft swell from the west and a cross-shore breeze, but it’s still not a day to get excited about.

The real glimmer of hope, and the only standout I can see, comes on Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning is looking clean. We’ve got a light 2ft swell from the west, but the key is the wind – it’s coming from the southeast at just 3 mph, making it offshore and glassy. The combined energy is weak (38), but for a small wave sesh on a clean face, it’s your best bet. The only break mentioned is Watergate Bay itself, a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent. It’s fairly exposed to the WNW, and the optimum swell direction is WNW, so the direction is a match. Just be aware that crowds are often an issue here, so get out early.

After that little window, the outlook drops right off again. The rest of the week and into the start of August is a repeat of small, weak, and onshore slop. There’s a couple of days, like Sunday the 2nd of August, where the combined energy pushes into the moderate range (138), but the swell is short-period, onshore, and the quality is poor. Nothing to write home about.

So, to sum it up: the only real show in town is Tuesday morning the 28th of July. It’s small, but it’s clean. The rest of the 16 days is a long, quiet stretch of poor surf. It’s one of those runs where you just have to wait for the next system to breathe some life into the bay.

Rusty.

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