Windmills Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at the charts for the coming stretch, and I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s a tough one. We’ve got a long wait ahead for anything worth paddling out for.

We’re looking at a solid gap of nearly a full week with no decent surf on offer. The first few days are going to be a write-off. From Thursday the 23rd through to Wednesday the 29th of July, it’s a mess. The wind is howling from the east and east-northeast, up to 18-22 mph, and it’s sitting cross or cross-shore the whole time. The swell is that short-period, wind-blown stuff—around 6 to 8 seconds—and it’s just creating a lumpy, choppy surface. The combined energy is moderate (values between 160 and 353), but it’s useless energy with that wind. There’s just no quality to be found.

Windmills is the only spot in the mix, and it’s a reef break that needs the right conditions, but for the first week, it’s all “poor surf conditions” with a score of zero. Not worth a second look.

Now, there’s a tiny glimmer on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning shows a switch to a light offshore breeze from the SSE at 9 mph, with a gentle breeze and clean conditions. The swell is small, only about 3 ft from the ENE, with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is weak (174). The file says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” scoring a 1. It’s not a standout, just a brief moment of clean-ish water. The water temperature is 80°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

After that, it’s back to the wind and chop from Friday the 31st of July all the way through to the end of the outlook on Friday the 7th of August. The swell sticks around, occasionally hitting 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind never lets up, staying cross or cross-shore at 15-22 mph. There’s a long-period groundswell window on the 3rd of August (16 seconds), but with the wind ruining it, the energy (660+) is wasted. The conditions are consistently “poor” with scores of zero.

Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s no standout session here. The only break is Windmills, and it’s just not cooperating. The combination of persistent cross-shore wind and short-period, wind-affected swell means the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for the bulk of this period. Hang tight, and check back in a few days—the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

Read more