Wollongong North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for Wollongong North Beach. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any swell to speak of until things finally wake up. The first decent pulse doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 4th of August, and even then it’s messy. The real standout comes later, so let’s get into it.

For the first week or so, from Friday the 24th of July right through to Monday the 3rd of August, it’s pretty flat. We’re talking tiny dribbles of swell – mostly around 0.3ft to 1ft – with a mix of short-period windswell and some long-period groundswell that just doesn’t have the height to do anything. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only interesting thing. Winds are light and variable, with some glassy moments, but there’s nothing to ride. It’s a big gap of nearly 11 days with no real surf on offer.

Then we get a little flutter on Tuesday the 4th of August. A pulse of 5ft swell from the ESE starts to show up, but it’s a short period of 7 seconds and the wind is cross to cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy is moderate though, hitting 260 (moderate wave energy). It’s really only kite-surfing territory for that day – the beach break setup with poor quality and onshore wind just isn’t worth paddling into.

Wednesday the 5th of August cleans up a bit with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, and the swell drops slightly to 4ft from the ESE, period still a short 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (194). You could find a few waves, but it’s very ordinary. Not one to get excited about.

Now, here’s where it gets good. Thursday the 6th of August is the first real standout. The morning brings a clean 6ft swell from the ESE with a 10-second period, and a solid offshore wind from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 659 (strong wave energy). This is proper groundswell, and with offshore wind, Wollongong North Beach will have some nice, clean lines. It’s not too big for advanced surfers, but at 6ft, beginners might find it a bit much. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but the energy spikes to 1231 (very strong wave energy) – though the period stretches to 14 seconds, which can make the sets a bit more spaced out and the waves might break a bit straighter on a beach break. Still, it’s a cracking day.

But the absolute best on offer is Friday the 7th of August. The morning is glassy – dead calm with a 7ft ESE swell and a 13-second period. The combined energy is a massive 1465 (very strong wave energy). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s a solid groundswell with clean, glassy conditions. The long period means there’s plenty of power and the sets will have nice gaps between them, making the paddle out easier. For a beach break, that long period can sometimes make the waves a bit too straight, but with this size and glassy conditions, it’s going to be a ripper. Just be aware that this spot can get crowded sometimes, so get in early.

Saturday the 8th of August is a step down but still fun. The morning is glassy again with a 4ft ESE swell at 11 seconds, energy at 374 (moderate wave energy). It’s a good, clean option for a more relaxed session, but the afternoon turns onshore and messy.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a bust. The standout is Friday the 7th of August – glassy, 7ft groundswell, and very strong energy. Thursday the 6th is also a cracker with offshore winds. Don’t bother before that.

Rusty.

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