Whitesand Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's take a gander at what's on the charts for our little stretch of coast. To be honest, it's a slow start. We've got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell, and most of those first few days are going to be a washout for any proper surfing. The water temperature is sitting at a comfortable 61°F, which is pretty normal for the time of year.

Things start to stir a little around Thursday the 16th when we get a glassy afternoon with a puny 2ft, but it's still pretty poor. The first real glimmer of hope comes on Friday the 17th. We've got glassy conditions in the morning with a light north wind, and the swell is building to about 3ft. It's a very short-period swell though, only 7 seconds, so it won't have much push, but for a beginner-friendly wave at Whitesand Bay, it'll be surfable. The energy is weak (86), so it's more about getting wet than getting a classic wave. The afternoon looks similar.

Then we hit a bit of a flat patch over the weekend, with messy cross-shore winds. The next proper event is a few days later, around Tuesday the 21st of July. We've got a bigger pulse of swell coming in at 5ft from the west. The energy is starting to get moderate (182), and it'll be a bit more defined. The downside is the wind will be cross-shore in the morning, going cross-onshore in the arvo, so it won't be clean.

But the real standout, the one that's worth a bit of a drive for, is shaping up for Wednesday the 22nd of July. Now, this is over a week away, so don't book your time off just yet, but the models are showing a strong pulse of westerly swell hitting 8ft on Wednesday morning and building to 8ft in the afternoon. The wave energy is going to be very strong (644-816). That's a solid size. It's a short-period swell again at 8 seconds, so it'll be a bit lumpy and powerful.

For a beach break like Whitesand Bay, that kind of size is getting into expert territory. For the average punter, it's going to be challenging. The wind looks okay, light cross-shore in the morning, but shifting to a clean onshore in the afternoon. Honestly, that much west swell with onshore wind at a beach is going to be messy. It might actually be a better day for the kiteboarders out there than the paddle crew. The rating for the break is a 2/5 and it's a beginner-friendly spot, so when it gets to over 8ft, it's only for the experienced lads.

After that, it fades fast. Thursday the 23rd drops right back down to 3ft and it's all cross-shore chop again. The rest of that final week looks like a return to small, weak, or onshore conditions.

So the summary? A long, slow start, a couple of small glassy days for the beginners around the 17th, and then a big, powerful but messy swell on the 22nd. The best clean wave for a normal surfer is probably the glassy Friday on the 17th, even though it's small. The big Wednesday will be a sight to see, but only if you're brave (and experienced). It's a pretty run-of-the-mill two weeks for the area, really.

Rusty.

Read more