Wollongong North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Wollongong area.

Alright, mate, I gotta be straight with you – this isn’t shaping up to be a classic run. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a struggle. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak energy with hardly any punch. The first real suggestion of anything surfable doesn’t even pop up until early August, so there’s a big gap of nothingness for the first week.

Let’s start with Wollongong North Beach. It’s an advanced wave, very consistent, but it’s exposed to the swell. The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small win.

The first few days are a write-off. Swell heights are barely a ripple, mostly 0.3ft to 1.0ft with periods all over the place, but the combined energy is pitiful, with values like 10, 9, and 18. The wind is a mess, too, switching from glassy to strong cross-off shore, but there’s just nothing to ride.

We get a bit of a pulse on the 3rd of August with a 2ft swell from the SE, period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 163 (moderate). The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW, so the shape might be okay, but it’s still small. That’s about as good as it gets for the first half of the run.

The 4th of August morning is the only time the report says “surfable waves,” but it’s still described as very ordinary. The swell is 3ft from the SE, 12-second period, with 190 combined energy. Wind is light from the S, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. But it’s really just a knee-high dribbler.

After that, it’s back to tiny stuff until the 7th and 8th of August. On the 7th, Friday afternoon, we see a 6ft swell from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds and combined energy of 305 (strong). The wind is onshore from the NE at 15 mph, which will chop it up. That’s a messy, blown-out mess.

The 8th of August, Saturday morning, is the biggest swell of the window: 6ft from the SE, 10-second period, with a combined energy of 693 (very strong). But the wind is a light cross-onshore from the N, so it’s not ideal. The afternoon is 7ft with even more energy (794), but the wind switches to a moderate onshore NE breeze. At this size, over 5ft, it’s getting too big for beginners, and with the onshore breeze, it’s going to be a crumbly, bumpy mess. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

The 9th of August is similar, with 5ft swell but onshore winds again. The last few days drop off into rain and wind with no swell at all.

So, the only standout, if you can call it that, is the 4th of August (Tuesday morning). It’s the cleanest, most surfable of the lot. The 3ft SE swell with a 12-second period will give you a little bit of shape, and the light, cross-off wind from the south will keep the face clean. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but it’s the only window where you might get a few fun ones. The 8th of August (Saturday) has the most size, but the wind is against it; it’s promising but less certain to be any good.

Bottom line: we’re in a dry spell. The first week is a total loss, and the second week offers only a couple of marginal windows. Keep your eye on the 4th of August morning for the cleanest bet, but don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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