Raffs Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Reports (VIC (2024)

FAQs

Who has the most accurate surf report? ›

Surfline has been the surf world's go-to for wave forecasting and surf reports since 1985, helping millions of surfers score better waves, more often. Use the Surfline app to know before you go anytime, anywhere. Keep track of current surf conditions. - View live surf cams at 1000+ breaks around the world.

Seas: ESE 2 feet at 6 seconds. Light SE winds with a slight chop. Very small very short period waves. Winds: SE 9 to 10 knots.

Surfing is usually best when it's wind-free. A surfer values glassy conditions―a calm surface of the water without gusts of wind―the most, but tough surfers learn to manage even the worst conditions. In surfing, there are two primary wind conditions: onshore and offshore.

Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii

According to a CNN report, Pipeline in Oahu is the world's number 1 surf spot.

SURFLINE.COM. Global Surf Reports, Surf Forecasts, Live Surf Cams and Coastal Weather.

A surf report, however, is not a 100 percent accurate maritime weather forecast tool. Instead, surf reports represent interpretations of data collected over time from a given surf spot, and so each surf report site will have tuned the weather algorithms it uses to make sense of its prevailing conditions.

Magicseaweed. Magicseaweed reportedly covers over 3,000 beaches in 180 countries. They use their multitudes of offshore weather buoys to provide visitors with detailed weather and swell maps, sea temperature readings, information on wind direction, and so on.

Not necessarily — it depends on where you plan to surf. High tides are great if you're headed towards a reef break. The only exception is if it's near a bluff, in which case the waves rarely break before hitting land. Conversely, medium to low tides are better if you're surfing near a beach break.

Tide and Surfing

If the tide is too high and rising, each successive wave will push higher, while if the tide is high and falling, the energy in the waves will decrease with each wave. As the tide approaches low tide, the waves will be less powerful and flat.

Why are waves so big now? ›

He says that human-caused climate change will force seas to rise in the future, making waves even bigger. A Scripps Institution of Oceanography study from last summer found that California waves have grown, on average, a foot taller in the last 50 years as climate change has heated up the planet.

Some bioluminescent organisms are in the water off our coast right now, making the waves glow a vivid blue. "They're planktonic animals called dinoflagellates that are basically becoming much more dense, which causes that bioluminescent property," explains Michelle Coley with the Virginia Aquarium.

4-8 foot or bigger waves are best left for advanced surfers who know about timing sets, avoiding the “impact zone” (the place where the waves break), and surf etiquette. 8 ft. + are BIG waves and only highly experienced folk should enter the water.

Generally speaking the perfect size for beginners is 1 to 2ft. For intermediates: 2-4ft waves are best as it gives you more face of the wave to progress your skills on. You should keep an eye on the 'Swell Period', because it's a lot more indicative of the actual wave size (see the next point).

But generally for surfing, you want light offshore winds under 15mph for clean, groomed waves. Anything more than that (say, a gusty offshore wind over 25mph) will make it harder to paddle into waves and, on weaker swells, harder to generate speed on the waves.

Global surf forecasting firm Magic Seaweed (MSW) has announced it is losing its name as it merges with California-based Surfline.

3 = POOR: Poor surf with some (30%) FAIR waves to ride. 4 = POOR to FAIR: Generally poor surf many (50%) FAIR waves to ride. 5 = FAIR: Very average surf with most (70%) waves rideable. 6 = FAIR to GOOD: Fair surf with some (30%) GOOD waves.