Watermans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Watermans has got cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some definite windows of opportunity if you're willing to wait and pick your moments.

Right off the bat, the water is sitting at about 65°, which is a bit colder than you'd expect for this time of year, so you might want an extra mm of rubber. The overall pattern is a slow build-up into some serious size and energy, but we have to wade through a lot of wind-affected slop to get there.

The first few days are pretty ordinary. This Saturday the 25th has a clean morning with a waist-high 4ft swell from the WSW, and the energy is moderate at 439. The wind is howling though, so it's not really one to get excited about. Sunday the 26th is a write-off – a 7ft to 8ft swell is on the cards, but with strong winds and short, fat periods of 8 to 12 seconds, it’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and a mess. Not worth the paddle out.

Things start to turn around on Monday the 27th. The wind drops right out, and we get a clean, cross-off breeze with a solid 7ft swell (moderate energy at 1725). The period jumps to 13 seconds, giving it some real grunt. This is for experienced surfers only, as it's over the 5ft mark, but the conditions are excellent. Tuesday the 28th is even better. We get proper offshore wind from the east all day, with a 6ft to 5ft SW groundswell running a very long 14 seconds. The energy is still moderate (1271), but it’ll be clean, lined-up, and waving. This is a standout.

The middle of the week stays clean, with Wednesday the 29th offering a 5ft, 17-second groundswell in the afternoon – that’s a very long period, which will have plenty of push and be super fun on the reef, though the 5ft size keeps it just in range for strong intermediates too. The crowd factor is "often" here, so expect some company.

Looking at the long-range forecast, it gets big. Around Thursday the 7th of August and into the weekend, we're looking at solid 10ft+ swell from the WSW. The energy readings are huge, into the thousands (5070), but the winds are cross-offshore. Saturday the 8th of August morning looks like a winner with light east winds and a clean 10ft swell – that's expert territory, but the conditions should be epic. By Sunday the 9th, we see an easing trend with nice offshore winds again and an 8ft groundswell. This whole end of the second week is for experienced surfers only, though, as the size is consistently over 8ft.

The absolute best bet on offer is Tuesday the 28th of July at Watermans. You've got a 6ft SW groundswell, a super-long 14-second period, and gentle offshore wind from the east all day. It will be clean, organised, and powerful. Saturday the 8th of August morning is the other standout for the more experienced crew. It's a long way out, so less certain, but a clean 10ft swell with offshore wind is a serious prospect.

Rusty.

Read more