Winki Pop Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’re looking at a pretty wild ride over the next couple of weeks at Winki Pop. This is a reef and point setup, so it’s built for the right swell, but we’re going to have to be patient. The water is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th offer tiny, surfable waves but nothing to get excited about. The energy is weak, with readings around 170 (moderate energy) dropping to 131, so it’s a real small-scale affair. The real magic window starts to show on Tuesday the 21st. The morning brings a small 3ft groundswell from the southwest, and with a light offshore wind from the NNW, it’s going to be clean. The combined energy is up to 269 (moderate energy), and the conditions are described as “good surf.” That Tuesday morning is the first real standout. It’s not big, but the quality will be there.

The middle of the week gets messy. Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off with strong winds, and Thursday the 23rd sees a massive jump in size. We’re talking 13ft of SW swell with a solid 14-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The energy reading is a massive 7532 (very strong wave energy). This is big, expert-level stuff. It will be too big for most, and the wind is cross-off, not clean offshore, so it’s going to be a bit wild. If you’re a seasoned charger, it’s on, but it’s not a beginner’s game.

The big swell continues into the weekend of the 25th and 26th with 12ft and 5ft respectively, but the wind remains cross-off. The energy is still strong, but it’s not the cleanest. The standout of the whole run, however, has to be the classic Winki Pop conditions late on Sunday the 26th. The afternoon shows a drop to 4ft, a clean 12-second period swell from the SSW, and crucially, an offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is down to 452 (moderate energy), but it’s glassy and clean. That’s the sweet spot for the point. The crowds are a factor here, described as “often,” so you’ll have company, but for a wave that good, it’s worth it.

The second week drops off quickly. There’s a tiny window Monday the 27th with some small, clean waves, but then we get a run of poor conditions. Strong winds, lumpy cross-chop, and a lot of rain. The energy is all over the place, from high numbers like 3530 (very strong) to just 90 (weak). The wind is a problem, often cross-shore or onshore, making it a tough paddle. Honestly, for the second week, the only thing that might be worth looking at is the very end of the run on Monday the 3rd of August, but the wind is cross-onshore and lumpy, so it’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing those days.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Tuesday the 21st morning for clean, small waves, and Sunday the 26th afternoon for the bigger, cleaner, classic Winki Pop. The rest is either too big, too windy, or too small. Keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

Read more