Whale Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a solid run of swell lined up for Whale Rock, but it’s a spot that takes a bit of reading – it’s a reef break that’s inconsistent, so you’ve gotta pick your moments. The water’s sitting at 70.9°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary.

The action kicks off Sunday morning, 19 July. We’ve got a clean 4.3ft S swell rolling in with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind is glassy out of the east at just 3 mph. The combined wave energy is moderate (845), and it’s going to be absolutely glassy. This is a real treat – expect very good surf conditions, even if the break doesn’t always fire. The swell direction is from the S, which is a bit off the optimum S direction, but the glassy conditions make up for it. That afternoon, the wind swings cross-on and the swell jumps to 5.2ft SE, but the quality drops – it’s marginal, so I’d stick to the morning.

Monday 20 July morning is a standout. We’ve got 7.9ft of SW swell with an 11-second period, and glassy S wind at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (2452), and the forecast says excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers – that’s because 7.9ft is solid, and it’s pushing well over the reef. This is the best of the whole run. The SW direction doesn’t match the optimum S swell direction perfectly, but the size and clean conditions make it a ripper. The afternoon sees a drop to 5.2ft with tricky conditions, so don’t sleep in.

Tuesday 21 July morning is cross-on and a bit smaller at 4.3ft SE, but the afternoon glass-off with 3.9ft SE (772 energy) brings back that clean, very good surf feel. Not huge, but a fun session.

We hit a rough patch from Wednesday 22 July through Thursday 23 July. The wind cranks up – 9 to 19 mph from the NE and SW – and the swell gets messy. Wednesday’s 3.6ft and 3.0ft are poor, with choppy conditions. Thursday has a 5.9ft SSW swell but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off, which at least keeps it clean-ish, but the short period (8 seconds) means the waves are weak and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.

Friday 24 July morning offers a glimmer: 5.9ft S swell with 11 seconds and light cross wind (1176 energy). It’s marginal, but light wind means it’s not a total loss. The afternoon, though, is a write-off – 7.2ft SSW with 17-second period, but the onshore wind at 12 mph makes it a mess. That long period 17-second swell would be better at a point or reef, but the wind ruins it.

Saturday 25 July is a washout with cross winds and moderate breezes – the 4.3ft and 4.9ft SSW swells are marginal at best.

Sunday 26 July morning is a nice return to form: glassy SE wind at 3 mph, 4.3ft SSW swell with a 13-second period (547 energy). Expect very good surf conditions – clean and workable. The afternoon gets blown out again.

Monday 27 July morning is another standout. We’ve got 4.6ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and glassy N wind at 3 mph. The combined energy is strong (1062), and the forecast says excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. That 16-second period is proper groundswell, and on a reef like Whale Rock, it’ll hold up nicely. The wind is perfect. The afternoon gets hammered by 19 mph cross wind, so get in early.

From Tuesday 28 July through Wednesday 29 July, the swell pumps up big – 8.2ft to 11.5ft – but it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds from the E and NE, 16 to 19 mph. The combined energy hits 4416 on Tuesday afternoon, which is very strong, but the conditions are poor and lumpy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one. The 9.8ft SE swell on Wednesday morning is still cross-on and choppy – not worth it for the average surfer.

Thursday 30 July morning has 6.6ft E swell with a short 9-second period and light cross wind (1107 energy) – marginal. But the afternoon is a gem: glassy S wind at 3 mph, 5.6ft E swell with 9 seconds (851 energy), and expect very good surf conditions. It’s a short-period swell, but the glassy conditions make it clean and fun.

Friday 31 July drops off – 2.6ft SSW swell with 15-second

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