Winki Pop Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Winki Pop. This is a reef and point setup that needs a solid SW groundswell and some love from the wind gods, and we've got a bit of a story to tell over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, there's a bit of a dry spell to kick things off. We get a tiny window of clean surf on Friday morning, July 10th, with a 3ft SW groundswell coming in at a super long 15 seconds. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNW at 6 mph, so it'll be clean. The wave energy is weak though, sitting at (421). It's a small window before things get blown out.

The weekend is a write-off, honestly. Saturday and Sunday see strong winds picking up, hitting 22 to 25 mph from the north and west. The swell is small and weak, and the conditions are just poor. No point getting wet.

Now, the real story starts to build from Monday the 13th. We get a proper pulse of SW groundswell rolling in, with wave heights pushing up to 7ft on Monday and 8ft by Tuesday. The period is a very long 16 seconds, so this is real energy out of the deep ocean. The combined energy jumps into the strong range (2771) by Tuesday morning. This is powerful stuff, but it's a double-edged sword. The wind is cross-off and offshore, keeping the surface clean, but with that size and period, it's expert-only territory. It's going to be a heavy, grinding wall at Winki Pop, and paddling out will be a workout with those long waits between sets.

The standout window, and the one I'd be circling on the calendar, is Wednesday the 15th. The swell drops back a touch to 6ft, still from the SSW with a lovely 15-second period, but the wind turns pure offshore from the WNW at 9 mph. The description says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" and the energy is still strong (1546). This is the pick of the whole forecast – clean, powerful, and well-shaped. The morning will be the money time.

The following days, Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th, keep the fun going. The swell holds around 4ft to 5ft, still with that long period. Thursday afternoon is a special mention – the wind goes glassy from the east at 3 mph, and the conditions are described as "very good." This is when the point starts working for everyone, not just the experts. The energy is moderate (667) and the lines should be clean and inviting.

From Saturday the 18th onwards, the swell fades away quickly. The energy drops back into the weak zone, and the wind turns onshore from the north-northeast. It's a long, flat run with only a few inconsistent, small waves popping up here and there through the end of the month. Nothing to get excited about. The only real highlight in the second week is a small spike on Thursday the 24th, with a 4ft SW swell and an offshore wind, but it's a shadow of the good stuff from the week before.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is the clear winner. The best surf on offer is Wednesday the 15th, with that powerful, clean SSW groundswell and offshore wind. Tuesday the 14th, Thursday the 16th afternoon, and Friday the 17th are also solid. The second week is largely a bust for good waves.

Rusty.

Read more