Wollongong North Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Wollongong North Beach. This stretch is an exposed, very consistent, advanced-level break, so it’s not messing around. The optimum swell direction is from the ENE, but we’ll be seeing a lot of SE energy through this period. Water temp is 65°, which is about normal for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

We start with a bit of a gap. The first real action kicks off on Thursday afternoon, the 9th of July. It’s a solid start with a 5ft SE swell, period around 10 seconds, and a light cross-off breeze. The wave energy is moderate (564). Doesn’t look like a total stand-out, but it’s a clean, surfable wave. It’s a good one to get the wetsuit on for.

Friday the 10th keeps the same sort of size – 5ft SE swell again, period dropping to 9 seconds in the morning, then back to 10 seconds in the arvo. Light cross-off wind both sessions. The energy is moderate (449–456). It’s consistent, clean, and good. No fireworks, but you’ll be smiling.

Saturday the 11th drops off a bit. The swell backs down to 4ft in the morning with a cross-shore, and then 3ft in the afternoon with a cross-onshore. The period is 9–11 seconds, but the energy drops (328 then 272). It’s pretty marginal. Not the day to get excited.

From Saturday afternoon, things fizzle out. Sunday the 12th through to Friday the 17th of July is a long, flat spell. The swell drops to nothing – 2ft, then 2ft, then 0.7ft, and eventually just zero. Strong winds pick up, but there’s no wave to ride. That’s a good 6 days of quiet. The beach is clean but empty. For a spot that’s usually very consistent, this is a real lull.

Now, here’s the BIG one. Saturday the 18th of July. I’m talking about a proper event. The swell jumps to 13ft, coming from the ESE with a 12-second period. The energy is massive – 4793 in the morning, 5031 in the afternoon. That’s very strong. BUT – and this is a big but – it’s too big for this break. The forecast itself says it’s too big. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a beast. The morning is glassy, the afternoon gets a light onshore. For the average surfer, this is a day to watch from the rocks. For a kiter, it might be a dream. The setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

Sunday the 19th of July is no better. Same 15ft SE swell, 12-second period, even more energy (5924). Insane size. The morning has a light cross-shore, but the afternoon is straight onshore. Still too big for safe paddling.

Monday the 20th of July starts to wind down, but it’s still big. 10ft SE swell, 11-second period, energy at 1952. The wind is light cross-shore, but it’s still a lot of water moving. It’s marginal.

Tuesday the 21st of July is where it gets back to something you can actually surf. The swell drops to 6ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, from the SE, with a 10-second period. The real winner here is the wind. A moderate offshore in the morning, and a gentle offshore in the afternoon. That’s clean. The energy is moderate (673 then 548). This is a standout. The best of the second week. It’s a proper surfable day after the big stuff.

The rest of the second week drops off again. Wednesday the 22nd sees 4ft and 3ft with cross-off winds, but it’s dropping. Thursday the 23rd is tiny. Then Friday the 24th of July brings a bit of life back. A 6ft E swell with a 10-second period and a gentle offshore wind. The energy is moderate (550). It’s a clean, good option to finish the period on.

So, the pick of the whole forecast? If you’re an expert and you want to see some serious power, the 18th and 19th are massive, but you have to know what you’re doing. For the rest of us, the true standout is Tuesday the 21st of July. Clean offshore winds, solid 5–6ft SE swell, and a manageable energy level. That’s your session.

Rusty.

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