Watermans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the cards for Watermans over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a bit of a rough start. The opening on Sunday, July 26th is a write-off – strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, poor surf. You’ll want to give that a miss. The action doesn’t really kick in until Monday morning, July 27th.

The standout window is shaping up to be Monday morning, July 27th. The water is a bit warmer than usual for this time of year, which is nice. You’re looking at a clean 8ft swell from the WSW, with a long period of 13 seconds and a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined swell energy is moderate to strong (1803), and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is a solid, powerful groundswell – the long period might make it a bit straight at a beach break, but on a reef like Watermans, it should set up nicely.

Tuesday, July 28th is also a cracker. Morning has a clean 6ft swell from the SW, with a 14-second period and a gentle offshore breeze from the east. The afternoon holds smaller, but still with clean offshore wind. The combined energy is strong (1352 and 1164). This is a classic, fun day.

Wednesday, July 29th sees the swell dip a bit, but the afternoon session offers a long-period 5ft groundswell from the SW (17 seconds) and light cross-offshore winds. It’s a clean, mellow option for those who don’t mind the wait between sets.

After that, the quality drops off into Thursday and Friday, with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. Saturday, August 1st is a mess with rain and fresh cross-shore winds.

Then, we get a little glimmer. Sunday morning, August 2nd – glassy conditions! A 7ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is strong (1868). It’s going to be clean and appealing for experienced surfers, but the wind is light, so paddle out early.

The first week of August has a few more "clean" and "very good" slots, with swells around 4ft to 6ft from the SW and WSW, and light cross-offshore winds. Good for a steady session.

Now, looking further out, the second week gets wild. From Thursday, August 6th onwards, the swell size jumps up significantly. The afternoon of August 6th has a 16ft swell from the west, but it’s cross-shore and messy. August 7th and 8th are massive, with 16ft plus swells and onshore winds. The combined swell energy is extremely high (over 15,000). This is big, powerful, and honestly, for a reef break like Watermans, it’s going to be a close-out and dangerous. The forecast even says it’s too big for this break. Sunday, August 9th holds 15ft swells with cross-shore winds, again too big. This is more of a big-wave tow-in or kite situation than a normal paddle session.

So, the best bet is to clear your schedule for Monday, July 27th and Tuesday, July 28th. That’s where the quality, size, and wind all line up. The bigger stuff in the second week is for the brave and the experienced, but the conditions are likely to be messy.

Rusty.

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