Aileen's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

We’re firing off with a quiet start at Aileen's. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with tiny, weak swell and not much to get excited about. Sunday the 23rd sees a tiny 1.0ft swell from the west with a short 8-second period, and the combined energy is a feeble 18 – that’s barely a ripple. The water is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s not until Monday the 24th morning that we see something worth paddling out for. The swell picks up to 3ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 11 seconds and a combined energy of 162, which is a moderate pulse. The wind is offshore from the east-southeast at 9 mph, keeping things clean. That’s the best window early on, but it’s still small. Tuesday the 25th morning has a similar 3ft swell from the west at 9 seconds, with offshore wind, but it’s holding at a moderate energy of 170. Tuesday afternoon even goes glassy for a moment, but the swell drops to 3ft.

After that, things get messy. From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month, the wind turns cross-shore or onshore, and the swell stays small and weak. The energy readings drop right off, with many days showing combined energy below 100. There’s a bit of a bump on Friday the 28th afternoon with a 5ft, short-period wind swell from the west-northwest, but the wind is howling onshore at 22 mph, making it a lumpy, ugly mess. That's not for us. The same pattern continues into the first week of September, with onshore winds and poor conditions.

Now, here’s the standout… and it’s a tricky one. On Friday the 4th of September, the morning brings a proper pulse. The swell hits 6ft from the west-southwest with a 10-second period, and the combined energy absolutely fires up to 778 – that’s strong energy. This is a solid, powerful groundswell. However, the wind is an onshore 28 mph from the same direction, which means it’s going to be a washing machine. Aileen's is a reef break, so it needs good wind to shine. The swell direction (WSW) is spot on for the optimum, but unless that wind drops, it’s gonna be a challenging, messy session even for the advanced crew. The afternoon of the 4th is still big, with 5ft and 356 energy, but the wind is even stronger at 34 mph. This is one for the experts only, and even then, it’s more of a survival mission than a classic session. The following morning on Saturday the 5th, the swell is still 3ft from the west with a 9-second period and 222 energy, but the wind is still onshore and strong. It's a case of big swell, poor quality.

Beyond that, into the second week, the 6th and 7th of September show some size – 4ft to 6ft from the west – but strong, messy winds from the south and northwest keep the quality down. The combined energy is moderate to strong, but it’s all wind-affected. For the entire 16-day window, the only real moment of clean, reasonable surf is the Monday and Tuesday around the 24th and 25th of August. That’s your best bet. The big swell on the 4th of September is a promise that could break your heart if the wind doesn’t play ball.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is tiny and mostly average, with a couple of small, clean windows. The second week has some size, but the wind is nasty. If you’re a local, keep an eye on that Friday the 4th of September morning, but be prepared for a bumpy ride. The water is a touch warmer than usual, which is a nice bonus for the wait.

Rusty.

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