Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ through for the next couple of weeks at this spot.

Alright, we’ve got a bit of a slow start for *Whale Rock* (reef), but once the swell kicks in, it’s got some real potential. The water’s sittin’ at 71.8°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels nice on the skin.

First real chance to grab a board is that Monday afternoon, July 6th, but honestly, it’s not much. Tiny 2.6 ft swell from the SE, combined energy of 171, and a cross-shore wind. Strong enough to wet the leash, but not much else. Tuesday morning the 7th cleans right up – glassy, 1.6 ft of smooth SW swell (period 14s). It's surfable but ordinary. You’d be paddling for the sake of it.

Wednesday the 8th morning has 2.3 ft SSW swell with period of 14s, giving us 202 combined energy, but it’s cross-shore and marginal. Things start to get more interesting on Thursday the 9th morning – 5.6 ft SSW swell, 991 combined energy, clean with a cross-offshore wind. It's getting there, but still just marginal.

Here’s where it picks up. Friday morning, July 10th is our first standout. We’re looking at 8.2 ft SSW swell, period 14 seconds, combined energy up at 2862. That's solid, meaty groundswell, and with a gentle cross-offshore wind from the SW, it’s going to be clean. This one’s for the experienced crew – not a day for learners. The long period means the waves will have shape and power, perfect for this reef setup, but expect some lulls between sets. Crowds are possible here, so get on it early.

Saturday morning the 11th is also a beauty: 6.2 ft S swell, period 13 seconds, 1173 combined energy, and glassy as a mirror. That’s a morning for lining up the deep ones. By afternoon the wind swings onshore, so that clean window is tight.

We drop off a bit Sunday the 12th with storm risk and choppy cross-onshore wind. Monday the 13th glassy again with 5.9 ft ESE swell (9s period), 934 combined energy, and it’s looking very good. Not a standout against Friday, but a solid session.

Tuesday the 14th morning has a big 9.8 ft SSW swell, but period’s dropped to 10 seconds and it’s cross-shore. 3227 combined energy – there’s plenty of push, but with that wind and shorter period, it might be a bit lumpy. Only for the experts who don’t mind a wrestling match.

From Wednesday the 15th on, it fades and stays small and average through the 18th. A bit of a gap there with nothing special – a couple of glassy mornings around the 17th but only 2.3 ft surf, just cruisy small stuff.

Then we get a late pulse. Sunday morning July 19th brings 11.5 ft SSW swell with period 12s, combined energy a massive 4941, but it’s blowing a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore. The power is ridiculous, but it’s going to be a rough, bumpy beast. A few days later on the 20th, we see 5.6 ft SSW swell with that beautiful 15-second period (very long period groundswell), combined energy of 1307, and clean offshore wind from the W. This is a great setup for the reef – those long-period lines will wrap in nicely. Another standout for the experienced surfer.

After that, it winds down, with smaller and more mixed conditions through to the 21st.

Best of the bunch: Friday July 10th morning – that 8.2 ft SSW groundswell with clean offshore conditions is the pick. Second shout is Monday July 20th afternoon, with that long-period SSW swell and offshore wind – that’s a session that’ll stick in the memory.

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