Alexandra Headland Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it – the next couple of weeks at Alexandra Headland are a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a proper payoff if you’re patient. We’ve got a stretch of small, weak surf to start, then the ocean wakes up with a serious run of energy.

The early days – Sunday the 9th through Wednesday the 12th – are pretty quiet. Sunday morning is the pick of this bunch: clean, glassy conditions, light offshore wind, and a 3.3ft east swell rolling in at around 9 seconds. The energy is weak though, sitting at 202, so it’s more about a clean surface than any real push. It’ll be fun on a longboard, but nothing to write home about. After that, the wind turns and the surf drops off a cliff. We’re looking at days with waves barely reaching 2ft and messy, cross-shore winds. Monday is a washout with a cross-on breeze, and Tuesday and Wednesday are similar. The energy readings dip to 62 and 49 – that’s about as weak as it gets. There’s a brief glassy window Wednesday afternoon, but the swell is still tiny at 2ft, so it’s just a marginal one.

Then we hit a proper flat spell. From Thursday the 13th through Saturday the 16th, the swell gives up. We’re talking 1.3ft leftovers from the east, with energy readings in the 27 to 58 range. The wind is mostly offshore or cross-offshore, so it looks pretty from the sand, but there’s just no wave to ride. This is a dead period, plain and simple.

Now, things start to shift. Sunday the 16th afternoon brings a bump of new energy – 4.3ft at 6 seconds – but it’s from the southeast and messy, with a fresh breeze making it lumpy. Not great. Monday the 17th morning brings a bigger pulse, 6.6ft at 7 seconds from the southeast, and the energy jumps to 389. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the short period and size make it a handful. This is for the experienced crew only, and even then, it’s a marginal call with the tide. The afternoon turns to junk with a cross-on breeze.

The middle of that week gets serious. From Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 20th, we’ve got a solid run of size, but it’s coming with wind. Tuesday is the worst – 6.6ft to 6.9ft of southeast windswell, with a fresh cross-shore breeze making it lumpy and choppy. The energy is pumping at over 700 to 800, but the quality is poor. This looks more like a kitesurfing day than a paddling day. Wednesday the 19th is a bit cleaner with a cross-offshore wind, but it’s still big – 7.2ft to 8.2ft at 8 seconds – and the energy is huge, hitting 885. Thursday the 20th is similar, with 8.2ft of southeast swell at 9 seconds, energy at 1060. The wind is lighter and offshore, so it’ll be cleaner, but this size with that period is only for experts. Beginners should stay well away – it’s way over the 5ft mark.

And then we get to the good part. The standout period is Friday the 21st through the end. Friday morning sees the swell ease a touch to 5.2ft at 10 seconds from the east, with energy still strong at 889. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze, keeping the surface clean. This is a very good day for experienced surfers. Friday afternoon is similar, a touch smaller at 4.9ft, but still clean and fun.

But the real winner is Saturday the 22nd. The morning is the pick of the entire outlook. We’re looking at 5.9ft of east swell, with a period of 11 seconds. The energy is massive, at 1130, and it’s clean with a light offshore breeze. This is proper groundswell with real power. This is the day you want to be out there. The afternoon gets a bit more cross-on, so the morning session is the one.

Sunday the 23rd is another cracker, with 5.9ft at 12 seconds from the east, and glassy conditions in the morning with next to no wind. The energy is still up there at 919. This is a long-period swell, which makes it great for the point and reef setups around here, but it can be a bit too straight at the beach breaks. Still, it'll be clean and powerful.

Monday the 24th sees more of the same – 5.6ft at 11 seconds from the east-southeast, with glassy conditions to start. The energy is again strong at 964.

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