Albatross Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the local skinny on what's coming up. We're looking at a bit of a mixed bag at Albatross over the next 16 days, with some proper gems hidden in there if you're patient. This spot is a consistent beach and reef set-up, sheltered from the full force, and it's a beginner-friendly wave when it's on. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

Right off the bat, the start of the period is a write-off. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are a complete mess with poor conditions, lumpy cross-shore winds, and swell that's got some size but no quality. We're talking moderate wave energy (1993) on Thursday morning, but the wind is a cross-shore mess, and the score is a dud. You'd be better off staying home.

We get a slight tease on Monday the 7th. The morning shows a clean, offshore breeze from the NE at only 6 mph with a 7ft SSW swell (period 14 seconds – that's a nice groundswell) and moderate to strong combined energy (1783). It's a "marginal" call, but that offshore wind is a major positive, making it likely clean. The tide could be a factor, but it's the first real glimmer. The Monday afternoon stays clean with a light cross-onshore, but the swell drops a touch.

Tuesday the 8th is a gradual fade. Swell drops to 4ft, energy falls to 768, and the wind goes cross-shore. It's surfable but nothing to write home about.

Now, Wednesday the 9th is where we get a proper standout, but it's a quiet one. The afternoon sees a moderate offshore breeze from the SW at 9 mph, with a 4ft SW swell (14-second period). The energy is a modest 482, but the wind is clean, and the forecast calls for "expect good surf conditions." This is a glassy, clean wave for a light session. That's your best bet in the first week.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th turn ugly again. Choppy cross-onshore winds and dropping swell. Saturday and Sunday the 12th and 13th are bigger but blown out, with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The combined energy gets up to 1739 on Saturday and a whopping 3640 on Sunday with a 10ft SSW swell – but the wind makes it a total mess.

The next standout is Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th. Monday afternoon is special: a moderate offshore breeze from the WSW at 16 mph, a 6ft SSW swell (13 seconds), and "expect very good surf conditions." That's clean, lined-up, and the wind is perfect. Tuesday afternoon is also clean with a gentle offshore, but the swell drops to 3ft.

Then we get the absolute highlight: Wednesday the 16th morning. Glassy conditions – zero wind – with a 10ft WSW swell. The combined energy is strong at 2015. It's considered "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That 10ft is big, and with a short period of 9 seconds, it will be a punchy, powerful wave. Only for the experts. The afternoon is also good with a clean 8ft swell.

Thursday the 17th is another big swell window, but it gets gnarly. The morning is a strong offshore breeze at 28 mph with a 13ft SW swell. That's huge, expert-only territory, and the strong wind makes it a battle to paddle into. The afternoon is slightly better with a fresh offshore and a 15ft swell, but still huge.

Friday the 18th rounds out the period with an 8ft SW swell and light cross-shore winds – a decent finisher.

The best windows for a paddle are Wednesday the 9th afternoon for a clean, smaller session, and Monday the 14th afternoon for a clean, solid groundswell. The absolute standout for the brave is Wednesday the 16th morning – glassy, 10ft, and perfect for those who can handle it.

Rusty.

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