Nanwan Beach (South Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The surf window is opening up from Tuesday July 7th, but don’t expect much to start. We’ve got a long run of building swell and some quality windows, but also some real nasty weather to dodge.

The first few days are pretty quiet. Tuesday the 7th has a small 3ft to 4ft ESE swell slinking in, but the wind is light and cross or cross-on, and the wave comment says it’s marginal. Combined wave energy is moderate at best. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate.

Wednesday the 8th is where things start to look up. The swell jumps to 6ft in the morning and 7ft by the afternoon, both from the ESE and E, with a long 16 to 17 second period. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-off, so the surf will be clean. Combined energy climbs into the moderate-to-strong range. This is a good day for experienced surfers. The break is Nanwan Beach (South Bay), a beach and reef setup. With that long period, the reef will help shape the waves up nicely, but be aware that the long period can make beach breaks sectiony. Still, Wednesday is one of the true standouts – get on it.

Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th see the swell ramp up big time: 11ft to 18ft, with 17 to 18 second periods and very strong combined energy. The wind stays cross-off or offshore, so the waves will be clean and powerful. But this is way too big for anyone but experts – over 8ft, it’s expert-only territory. Unless you’re charging on a gun, sit this out.

Then the wheels fall off. Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th bring a risk of thunderstorms, gale-force winds up to 43 mph, and a messy SW swell. Combined energy is still moderate to strong, but the wind is cross or cross-on and the surf is blown out. Not worth it.

Monday the 13th through to Wednesday the 15th is a mix of cross and cross-off winds, with swell dropping back to 6ft to 8ft from the SW. The period shortens to 10-11 seconds. Combined energy is moderate. There are some clean windows, especially the afternoon of Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th, when the breeze is light and the waves are clean. These are okay for intermediate surfers, but not a standout.

From Thursday the 16th to Friday the 17th, it’s choppy and mostly poor or marginal with cross-onshore winds and a 5ft to 8ft SSW/SW swell. Combined energy is moderate. Not much to get excited about.

Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th bring a shift. The wind turns cross-off or offshore, the swell holds at 8ft from the SW with a 10-second period. Combined energy is solid moderate. The surf will be clean. Saturday afternoon is especially nice with light offshore and clean conditions, and Sunday morning also looks clean. This is a good run for intermediate to experienced surfers. It’s not the biggest, but it’s clean and rideable.

Monday the 20th goes marginal again with cross-onshore wind and a 10ft SW swell. Wave energy moderate to strong. Not ideal.

But then, Tuesday the 21st is a real gem. The morning is glassy, with no wind from the NW, and the afternoon is even better – calm, glassy, with a 8ft SW swell and an 11-second period. Combined energy is strong. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – and that glassy surface with a solid groundswell is about as good as it gets here. That is the second standout of this forecast window. Don’t miss it.

Wednesday the 22nd drops off to 8ft and becomes cross-shore again, marginal.

So to sum it up: Wednesday the 8th and Tuesday the 21st are your best bets. Wednesday the 8th for that clean, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday the 21st for the glassy conditions on a solid SW swell. Thursday and Friday the 9th-10th are expert-only, and the rest is mostly average or blown out. Keep an eye on the long-range though – forecasts change, and this area tends not to stay flat for long.

Rusty.

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