Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Whale Rock. This is a tricky reef setup for advanced surfers only, and it doesn’t break all that often, so when it lines up, you’ve got to be on it. The water is sitting at 70°F right now, which is just about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

We kick off on Saturday the 18th of July with a small, clean start. Morning is glassy with a 3ft swell from the south, period around 13 seconds, and the energy is moderate (467). It’s small, but that glassy surface makes it tempting. By the afternoon, the swell picks up to 4ft, but the wind swings cross-shore, and the conditions get a bit more marginal with tide concerns.

Sunday the 19th is where it starts to get interesting. Morning glass again, 4ft south swell with a clean easterly offshore breeze. The wave energy is building (775). By Sunday afternoon, it’s even better: 5ft from the southeast, glassy, energy up to 861. This is one of the better windows in the first week—clean, groundswell, and the reef will be handling it well.

Monday the 20th has a 5ft swell from the southeast, but the wind is cross-off in the morning and turns onshore in the afternoon. The energy is solid (1091), but the wind kills the quality. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Tuesday through Thursday the 21st to 23rd of July is a bit of a write-off. The swell drops and the wind is messy—cross-shore or cross-on, with moderate breezes. The energy stays in the moderate range (600-800), but the conditions are only marginal at best. A couple of days to skip.

Friday the 24th of July sees a big pulse of swell—8ft from the SSW with a very long 16-second period. The energy is massive (3010). But the wind is cross-shore and choppy, and the afternoon is even worse with onshore winds. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell, but it’s going to be a battle with the wind. The reef might hold it, but the surface won’t be pretty. This one is for experts only, and only if you’re willing to fight through the chop.

Saturday the 25th of July is the standout of the first week. Morning has 7ft SSW swell, 16-second period, moderate cross-shore wind but the energy is still huge (2003). The afternoon drops a touch to 6ft, but the wind goes light cross-on. It’s not perfect, but the size and period mean the reef will be pumping out some proper waves. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is your morning session.

The next few days, from Sunday the 26th to Tuesday the 28th of July, are poor. Strong onshore winds, dropping swell, and messy conditions. A couple of days with energy under 700 and glassy patches, but nothing worth rushing for. You’ll be sitting on the beach wishing you’d been out on the 25th.

Wednesday the 29th of July is a hidden gem. Morning is glassy with 3ft, but the afternoon is where it’s at: 4ft from the SSW with a 15-second period, glassy surface, and energy surging to 1132. The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the second real standout—clean, long-period groundswell hitting the reef with no wind. If you can get out on Wednesday afternoon, do it.

Thursday the 30th of July sees a big jump in size—8ft in the morning, 10ft in the afternoon, both from the SSW. The wind is cross-off but fresh (35 km/h, 22 mph), keeping the surface clean. The energy is massive (1662-2268). This is big, powerful reef surf. Only for experts, and even then, you’ll need to be careful. The period is shorter (11-12 seconds), so it’s a bit more unruly than the long-period stuff earlier.

Friday the 31st of July is another big day. 8ft from the south, 10-second period, but the wind is cross-off in the afternoon with a light breeze, and the energy is still huge (2173). The conditions are clean. This is another one for the advanced crew—big, punchy, and clean.

The first few days of August look rough. Saturday the 1st has 8ft but fresh cross-off winds, and the afternoon goes messy. Sunday the 2nd is a complete write-off with strong onshore winds and dropping swell. The long dry spell begins.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Sunday the 19th (afternoon glassy 5ft), Saturday the 25th (morning, big 7ft groundswell with manageable wind), and Wednesday the 29th (afternoon glassy perfection with 4ft long-period swell). Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big for anyone but the hardcore. Keep an eye on the 29th—that’s the one to circle.

Rusty.

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