Albatross Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf to kick things off, so don’t get too excited just yet. The waiting game will pay off, though, with a couple of windows that are genuinely worth circling on the calendar.

Albatross (beach and reef) is the only spot on the radar, so that’s where we’re focusing.

The week starts rough. Saturday the 5th is a write-off, with messy cross-on winds and a choppy 5 ft swell from the SSW. The energy is moderate (800), but the conditions are just ugly. Sunday the 6th gets bigger, with 12 ft on the afternoon, but the wind is still on it, making it a total washout. Monday the 7th is a bit cleaner in the morning with offshore wind, but the 8 ft swell is marginal, and the tide might be a factor.

Tuesday the 8th is the first real standout. The morning is glassy, flat calm, and the swell drops to a clean 4 ft from the SW, with a nice 13-second period. The energy is moderate (697), but the glassy conditions will make it super clean. This is where you want to be if you’re after a fun, easy paddle. The water is 62°, which is much colder than normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the thick rubber.

The rest of the week is a slow build. Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th have cleaner moments with offshore wind, but the swell is small and ordinary. By Thursday afternoon, the swell picks up to 8 ft from the SW, but the cross-shore wind will chop it up.

Then we hit another rough patch. Light rain and strong winds from Friday the 11th through Saturday the 12th make for poor, messy conditions. Sunday the 13th afternoon finally clears up with a light offshore wind and a 6 ft SW swell (14 seconds). The energy is moderate (1271), and the conditions look very good.

Monday the 14th is the big one. The morning is a proper standout: a 13 ft swell from the WSW, with a 11-second period and light offshore wind. The energy is very strong (6741) – this is big, powerful surf. It’s excellent for experienced surfers only. The sets will be long and the paddling easier, but this is not for beginners. The swell is over 8 ft, so it’s expert territory.

Tuesday the 15th holds well, with 8 ft from the SW and clean offshore winds. The energy is still strong (1670). Good, solid surfing.

Wednesday the 16th gets a bit wild with strong offshore winds, but the swell is 8 ft and the period lengthens to 15 seconds. It’s clean, but a strong offshore can make it hard to get into the wave. The energy is very strong (2902).

The final week gets a bit messy again. A big 10 ft+ swell from the SW on Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th is hit by cross-on winds, making it choppy and poor. The following weekend, the 19th and 20th, shows a smaller, cleaner window on Saturday, but Sunday brings a massive 15 ft swell from the SW with strong cross-off winds. The energy is very strong (4313), but it’s marginal and for experts only.

The best on offer: Tuesday the 8th for a clean, fun session in glassy conditions, and Monday the 14th for the big, powerful, expert-level surf. Both are standouts for different reasons.

Keep it salty.
- Rusty

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