Alexandra Headland Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let's be honest with each other – this isn't shaping up to be the fortnight we’d draw on the calendar. We’re looking at a sixteen-day window for Alexandra Headland, and for the first solid block, the honest truth is there’s not much to get excited about. The ocean’s in a bit of a sluggish mood.

The whole first week is thin. From Friday the 31st of July all the way through to the early part of the following week, we’re getting next to nothing – tiny junky swells, mostly from the east or northeast, with periods so short they barely have a pulse. The wind is a constant cross-off from the south-southeast, which keeps the surface tidy enough, but the wave energy is weak (often under 100 on the energy scale). There just isn’t the push. Saturday afternoon on the 1st of August does show a knee-high 5ft jump, but it’s still a short-period south-easterly with an energy reading of 186 – the wind is cross-off and decent, but the quality is still poor. It looks like a day for the log or a paddle, not a proper surf.

Now, there is a flicker of something interesting if you’re patient. On Monday morning, the 3rd of August, a clean 2ft swell from the SE rolls in with a very long period of 13 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to 397, and with a light S wind, the surface will be clean. That’s a proper groundswell pulse, but it’s small. Because it’s such a long period, it’s going to suck the life out of a beach break setup – it’ll break too straight and fat. You’d want to be on the point at Alexandra Headland to try and pick off the better ones. It’s super small, but for a wave-starved period, it’s the only real moment of quality. The water is sitting at 68° which is a bit colder than usual for July, so a decent wetsuit is the call.

After that blink, it goes quiet again. Small, glassey mornings with 2ft to 3ft on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (the 5th, 6th, and 7th of August) but they’re messy, or too weak. The ocean feels tired. The second week picks up a little in energy, but it still isn't great. Tuesday the 11th of August has a small 4ft southerly with a short 6-second period, strong cross-onshore – not making the case to paddle out.

Finally, the best true standout for the entire outlook comes on Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning looks ace: a 4ft east swell with an 11-second period, putting good energy into the water (418 on the scale). What sells it is the offshore wind – a clean 9 mi/h from the WSW. That is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s not huge, but it’s a proper clean groundswell with offshore winds. That’s the day to make the effort. Thursday the 13th also holds some rideable 3ft east swell with a solid 11-second period and offshore morning winds, but the Wednesday is the pick of the bunch by a long shot.

So, chalk it up to a quiet period for the Alex. Loads of flat or tiny days, but if you can wait for Wednesday the 12th of August, get there for the morning. It might just be the only session that feels like winter surf should.

Rusty.

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