Albatross Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

We’ve got a real feast of solid, powerful SW groundswell lined up, but you’re going to need to be on your game to pick the windows. The water is a staggering 55.4°, which is a massive 10.6° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s a serious anomaly, so don’t even think about paddling out without a thick steamer and booties. The combined energy is very strong (2660), so this is serious juice.

The standout window kicks off right from the Wednesday morning session. Albatross is looking firing with a clean 10.0ft SW swell at a nice 13 second period. Wind is a glassy light offshore from the SW, so the wave faces will be clean. This is strictly for experienced surfers given the size, but the quality is undeniable. The afternoon holds clean with a moderate offshore breeze, still 10.0ft SW.

Thursday, August 20th, is another top-tier call. The swell jumps to 13.1ft SW on the morning, with a very long 14 second period and a clean cross-off wind. The energy is pumping at (5705). This is big, powerful groundswell – perfect for a reef setup like Albatross, but it’s expert territory all the way. The afternoon drops slightly to 11.5ft but stays clean with a gentle offshore.

Friday the 21st sees the swell dropping to 7.9ft, but the wind turns cross-on from the ESE, introducing some ripples. The quality takes a hit, and it’s not worth paddling for. The weekend is a write-off thanks to some serious wind, with a strong breeze hitting 25 mph on Saturday – that’s kite-surfing conditions, not paddle surfing.

We get a clean-up on Sunday the 23rd. The wind goes light offshore again, with the swell holding at 7.9ft SW. Period slides to 11 seconds, so it’s a bit less grunty, but the energy is still moderate (1503). This is a very good session for intermediate to experienced surfers looking for clean, lined-up waves. Monday the 24th is also a solid call, with a 6.2ft SW swell in the morning and a 5.9ft SSW swell in the afternoon carrying a very long 16 second period. The wind stays light cross-off, keeping it clean.

The middle of the week (Aug 25-27) gets messy with cross-onshore winds and dropping swell, so give it a miss. The end of the month and into September has a few flickers of life, but the winds are either too strong or onshore. The 31st of August looks promising again with a 6.2ft SW swell and a moderate offshore, but the energy is moderate (1736). The real standout for the second week is the Tuesday afternoon session on September 1st. The swell is 5.9ft SW with a 14 second period, and the wind is a clean, moderate offshore. The energy is solid (2079), and it’s scoring excellent for the experienced crew. The rest of the first week of September tails off into smaller, choppier swell.

Best advice: hit Albatross on Wednesday the 19th in the morning, or Thursday the 20th for the biggest, cleanest groundswell of the run. You’ll be freezing, but you’ll be smiling.

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