Wonthaggi Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ up for Wonthaggi.

Straight up, the first few days are the real deal here. Thursday morning, July 9, it’s on. We’ve got a 5ft swell out of the SW with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is 876 – that’s moderate, but packed with punch. The ENE wind is light enough to keep things cross-off, so the waves will be clean. Water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year – nothing extreme, but a nice touch.

Thursday afternoon glassed off completely – SE wind at 0 mph, flat calm. The swell drops slightly to 4ft, still SW and 15 seconds. That’s the kind of afternoon you wait for.

Friday morning, July 10, keeps the run going. Swell picks up to 5ft from the WSW, period at 15 seconds, and the energy bumps to 1069 – moderate but solid. Light N wind at 6 mph, cross-off, clean conditions. Friday afternoon is glassy again with a NNW breeze at 3 mph, and the swell settles back to 5ft SW. That’s two days of gold.

Now, Saturday July 11 the wind gets nasty – 19 mph from the north, gusting stronger, and the swell drops to 4ft. It’s still clean but the wind is ruining the quality. Forget it.

Then we hit a big gap. Sunday July 12 through to Tuesday July 14, the swell gets huge – 13ft to 18ft – with onshore and cross-onshore winds over 19 mph. That’s not surf, that’s a washing machine. The energy readings are massive (5962 to 10579), but the wind and size make it dangerous and messy. That’s a full three-day stretch with no decent surf.

Wednesday July 15 brings a proper turn. The swell drops to 8ft SW, period 15 seconds, and the wind switches to a light ESE cross-off at 9 mph. This is excellent for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. The energy is 2722, strong, and the wave shape will be solid. Thursday July 16 morning will still be decent with a 5ft SW swell and light E wind, but the afternoon gets marginal.

The standout for the second week? Friday July 17 morning. Glassy conditions with ENE wind at 3 mph, and a 5ft SW swell with a 16-second period. Energy sits at 1129 – moderate but clean. That’s a beauty of a morning.

Saturday July 18 morning is still okay with a 5ft WSW swell and light N wind, but the afternoon gets cross-onshore. Sunday July 19 holds clean with 5ft WSW swells and light N wind both sessions.

The real standout for the whole outlook, though, is the first Thursday and Friday – that’s the best on offer. Clean, glassy, moderate swell with proper long-period groundswell. Wonthaggi is a beach-and-reef setup, and with that long period (15-16 seconds), the waves will be well-shaped but could be a bit straight at the beach – best to find a bank or the reef.

Crowds here are sometimes an issue, but with the conditions this good, expect a few locals out. Don’t let that put you off.

After the first week, the second week is more hit and miss. Wednesday July 22 looks promising again with a 7ft SW swell, 15-second period, and light NNE wind – that’s expert territory. But by Thursday July 23, it fades to 4ft and the wind goes cross-shore. Friday July 24 is a write-off with onshore rain and wind.

So overall, you’ve got a fantastic start, then a rough patch, then a few good windows for the experienced crew. Keep an eye on the long-range ones – they’re promising but not as locked in.

Rusty.

Read more