Zoo (Bull Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Well, I’ll be honest with you – the next 16 days are a tough watch. We’ve got a solid stretch of onshore wind and that’s not going to do us any favours. The only break on the cards for the whole period is Zoo (Bull Bay), and it’s pretty much a write-off for clean rideable waves. The water temp is sitting at 85°F which is about average for the time of year, but that’s about the only thing that’s normal.

We kick off on Monday, 27 July, with a small 4ft southeast swell, but it’s a short-period windswell (7 seconds) and the wind is cross-on from the southeast at 9 mph. The water is messy with a combined energy of only 154 (moderate), and the forecast is for poor surf conditions. That theme continues through Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – the swell bumps up a bit, hitting 6ft by Thursday morning, and the energy climbs to 372 (moderate), but the wind stays cross-on and choppy, ruining any chance of a clean face.

By Friday, 31 July, the swell is up to 8ft from the ESE, with a slightly longer period of 9 seconds, and the energy is strong at 961. But the wind is still cross-on at 12 mph, and the wave comment is poor. It’s just too lumpy and messy. That’s a theme for the whole first week – plenty of swell, but no quality.

The weekend of 2-3 August sees the swell drop back to 5ft-6ft, and the energy drops to moderate (319-500). The wind lightens up a little, but it’s still cross-on. The forecast moves from “poor” to “marginal” on Monday afternoon, 3 August, but it’s still not good enough to get excited about. The long period? No, it’s still short-period windswell.

The second week doesn’t offer much improvement. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday morning, 5 August, when the wind swings onshore from the SSE at only 3 mph, with 5ft swell and 8-second period. The combined energy is 308 (moderate), and the forecast is “marginal.” That’s the closest we get to a clean window, but it’s fleeting. The afternoon blows out again.

Towards the end of the run, around 8-11 August, the swell ramps up again – 8ft to 10ft from the ESE, with periods of 9 seconds. The energy is very strong, hitting 2061 on Saturday morning, 8 August, and 1433 on Tuesday, 11 August. That’s a lot of water moving. But the wind is still cross-on at 9-12 mph, and the wave comments are still poor or marginal. At 8ft to 10ft, this is expert-only territory anyway, and with the wind on it, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The wind is the enemy all the way through, and the swell direction never matches the optimum SSE. The only break, Zoo, is a reef that is fairly consistent, so it’s a shame the conditions don’t line up. Crowds are possible here, but with this forecast, I doubt anyone will be fighting for waves.

So, the short version: A long, disappointing run of onshore wind and messy surf. The best chance for a paddle is the morning of Wednesday, 5 August, but even then, it’s marginal. The big swell at the end is for experts only and still looks blown out. We’ll have to wait for the next pattern shift.

Rusty.

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