Airports Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Airports aren’t exactly firing. This is a reef break that’s exposed to the swell, but the conditions are fighting us most of the time. The water’s sitting at about 85°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast starts on Sunday morning, August 23rd, with some small, long-period S swell rolling in at 2 ft and a period of 19 seconds. The combined energy is weak (483), and with a light cross-onshore breeze, it’s looking pretty marginal. The afternoon stays cloudy with a bit more wind, and the surf is poor. Monday and Tuesday are similar – small S and SSW swell, 2 ft to 4 ft, with gentle cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. By Wednesday the 26th, the swell picks up a bit to 4 ft (SSW, 14 seconds) and the energy goes moderate (1071), but it’s still cross-shore wind and a bit messy. That trend continues through Thursday and Friday, with swell around 4 ft to 5 ft and energy up to 1127, but the wind stays cross or cross-onshore, so it’s nothing to write home about.

The real standout – and I mean the only one worth getting excited about – is the weekend of August 30th and 31st. On Sunday morning the 30th, we’ve got SSW swell climbing to 7 ft (18 seconds), with combined energy jumping to 2589 – that’s strong and beefy. The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s clean enough. By Sunday afternoon, it’s nudging 8 ft with energy at 3623, and the wind drops to 3 mph, almost glassy. That’s your best shot for the whole run, but heads up – at 8 ft, this is expert territory. The long period of 18 seconds is a groundswell, so it might be a bit straight at a beach break, but Airports being a reef, it should handle it well. Monday the 31st holds onto 7 ft to 7 ft swell with energy around 2583, still with light winds, so it’s a solid follow-up day.

After that, it fades. Tuesday September 1st through to Monday September 7th sees the swell drop back to 4 ft to 6 ft, but the wind picks up to 12–15 mph from the SSE and S, making it choppy and cross-onshore. The energy drops from 1378 down to 229 by the end, and the period shortens to 8–10 seconds, so it’s all onshore slop. The last few days, especially from September 5th to 7th, are best left alone.

So, bottom line: the only real window is the weekend of August 30th and 31st. If you’re an experienced surfer, get out there Sunday afternoon for the biggest, cleanest swell of the stretch. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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