Wollongong North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks start off real quiet. For the first week and a bit, there’s hardly any swell worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a long stretch from July 27th right through to August 6th where the surf is mostly flat or tiny. You’ll see a few days with a little bump, but the raw energy is just too weak – we’re talking combined energy values in the single digits and teens, even some low 20s at best. The winds are often clean or glassy, but with no real swell, it’s a paddle for nothing. Patience is key here.

Then, things start to change on the afternoon of Thursday, August 6th. The swell finally picks up, and we see a solid 5ft of SE swell coming in at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 487 (moderate). The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the south, so it’s looking good. That’s the first real sign of life.

Now, the standout – and I mean the real standout – is Friday, August 7th. Wollongong North Beach is on. The morning brings a powerful 8ft SE groundswell, period of 11 seconds, with a combined energy of 1300 (strong). The wind is offshore from the southwest at 15 mph, which is going to groom those lines beautifully. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – it’s a bit too big for beginners. The swell direction from the southeast is a great match for this exposed break, and the consistency is reliable. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon sees a similar size but more cross-offshore wind, so the morning session is the pick.

Saturday, August 8th keeps the momentum going. The morning sees a bigger 10ft SE swell, with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy hits 2268 (very strong). The wind is completely glassy – calm, zero knots – so it’s going to be as clean as it gets. This is for experts only at that size. It’s a powerful, long-period groundswell, which at a beach break can sometimes hit the shore a bit too straight, but with the wind and the size, it’s still a world-class morning.

The water temperature is sitting around 65°F, which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Nothing crazy, just a little more comfortable than usual.

After that, the swell backs off a bit. Sunday, August 9th has a 7ft swell from the ESE, but the wind turns onshore from the north-northwest in the morning and then fresh onshore from the northeast in the afternoon. It gets messy. Monday, August 10th drops further, and by Tuesday, August 11th, the swell is small again, just 4ft with a short period of 6 seconds, and the energy is weak.

The crowds at Wollongong North Beach can be a factor sometimes, so keep that in mind, especially for the good days. But for the 7th and 8th, it’s worth dealing with the company.

Bottom line: the first week is a write-off, but from Thursday, August 6th through to Saturday, August 8th, we’ve got some proper, powerful winter groundswell rolling in. The Friday morning is the best on offer.

Rusty.

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