Aileen's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a pretty bleak stretch here at Aileen's. This is a world-class reef that needs a specific window to fire, and we just aren’t getting it. There’s a run of days with no real surf to speak of, and then even when we do see a pulse of swell, the wind is going to ruin it.

The water is sitting at 63°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only bit of good news.

For the first week, from Monday the 17th right through to Monday the 24th of August, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at tiny, weak waves – under 3ft most days – with onshore and cross-onshore winds. The swell energy is pathetic, barely cracking 100 on the scale (98 is the highest we see in that period). The wind is mostly from the W or WNW, blowing straight onto the cliff, making it a complete mess. You’d be wasting your time.

We do see a bit of a pulse on the 19th with the swell hitting 8ft and the energy climbing to 1495, but it’s still coming from the west with a fresh onshore wind. That’s not going to be a pretty sight. Big, raw, blown-out lumps. Not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for beginners.

There’s a gap of a few days with nothing on offer, until we get to Tuesday the 25th of August. That morning, the finder flags a “marginal” call. The swell is back up to 8ft from the WSW, with a moderate cross-shore breeze from the SSW at 13 mph. The energy is a solid 963, so there’s some push. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s a decent groundswell. But the wind direction is cross, and it’s going to throw a bit of a chop on the face. This is really the only window in the whole 16 days where you might get a few rogue ones, but it’s far from perfect. The swell is a bit big for beginners, but for an advanced crew on the right tide, there could be a couple of big, bowly ones.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions. The rest of the week into September is a mix of moderate cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy seas. The swell tries to get going again on the 30th with 8ft from the west, but the wind is on it again. The whole period is a tough one for paddle surfing. Given the significant swell, poor quality, and strong wind, this setup is going to be far more interesting for kite surfers than anyone on a shortboard.

Rusty

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