Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day run is a tough one for the paddle crew. The main break we’re looking at is Whites Reef, a reef setup that’s fairly consistent but exposed to the west. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

We start off Monday, July 20th, with tiny 2ft SW swell. The problem is the wind is coming from the NNW at 12 mph, blowing straight across. It’s messy, and there’s no real energy to work with (combined energy 134). That sets the tone for the next few days.

Tuesday the 21st bumps up a bit to 4ft from the WSW, period around 13 seconds, so it’s got a bit of groundswell feel to it. But again, cross-shore winds in the 12 mph range keep it chop city. The energy is moderate (398), but the wave quality is poor.

Things get interesting Wednesday the 22nd, but not in a good way for surfing. Swell hits 5ft from the SW with a 12-second period, but it’s blowing onshore at 15-18 mph. The energy climbs (488), but it’s a mess. This pattern really shows its ugly side Thursday the 23rd into Friday the 24th. Thursday morning has 6ft of SW swell at 14 seconds, but the wind is onshore and strong. By Friday, we’re looking at 6ft to 7ft of SW swell with a long 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy (combined energy hitting 3340 on Friday morning). But it’s coming with a fresh 22 mph onshore wind. For a reef break like this, that’s a full-on washing machine. This setup is honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

We drop off over the weekend of the 25th and 26th, with swell easing back to 5ft down to 3ft. Still onshore winds, still poor. Saturday the 25th has moderate energy (919) but the wind is just too strong from the SW.

Now, Monday July 27th – that’s our first real glimmer. The morning is cross-shore and messy (3ft WSW), but the afternoon is where it’s at. The wind swings to the north at 9 mph, offering a cross-off breeze, and the wave comment is “clean.” Swell is 3ft from the WSW at a nice 13-second period. The energy is moderate (329). It’s not huge, but it’ll be the cleanest surf of the week. The crowd situation here is often, so expect company if it’s looking good.

We get another tease on Monday August 3rd. Both morning and afternoon show 2ft to 2ft of SW swell, 13-second period, with a light north-easterly cross-off breeze. Combined energy is low (228-217), but the wave comment says “clean.” That’s your second standout. It’s not going to blow your mind on size, but it’s rideable and clean.

The rest of the period – Tuesday the 28th through Wednesday the 29th – is a write-off with strong winds and lumpy conditions. There’s a long gap of poor to marginal conditions from July 28th through to August 2nd, before that Monday the 3rd offers relief. The very end of the run, Tuesday August 4th morning, shows a tiny 3ft SW swell with a 15-second period and a cross-off breeze, but it’s marginal.

So, overall: tough outlook. The two best windows are Monday afternoon July 27th and Monday August 3rd. Both are small but clean. The rest is mostly blown out or too big with bad wind. For the main push of swell mid-week, it’s really more of a kite day.

Rusty.

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