Almanarre Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week or so is a tough watch for Almanarre. We’ve got a long stretch of days with hardly any swell energy, and when there is a little bump, the conditions are messy. It’s a classic summer flat spell, and it’s going to test your patience. There’s a flicker of hope right at the end of the forecast, but it’s a long way off.

Right now, Thursday the 6th of August, the water is sitting around average for this time of year, nothing unusual. The morning is the cleanest part of the day with a light breeze from the NE, but the swell is tiny – just 2 ft from the WSW with a short, weak 6-second period. The combined energy is a measly 33, and it’s just not doing anything. The afternoon gets worse as the wind swings to the WSW at 12 mph, making it choppy and cross-onshore. Forget it.

Friday the 7th offers a little more. The morning swell pushes up to 3 ft from the W, still short period at 6 seconds, and the energy climbs to 69. The wind is a light NE at 3 mph, so it’s clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. By afternoon, the wind goes cross-on from the SW and the swell drops back to 2 ft. Not worth getting excited about.

Saturday the 8th through to Monday the 11th of August is a write-off. Swell heights are below 2 ft, periods are 4 seconds or less, and the energy is in the single digits. There’s nothing to work with.

Tuesday the 12th and Wednesday the 13th of August have some glassy mornings, with no wind, but the swell is barely a ripple – 1.0 ft and 0.7 ft. The energy is 2 and 1. It’s flat, but it’s pretty. No surf.

From Thursday the 14th of August all the way through to Monday the 17th of August, it’s more of the same. The swell is either non-existent or under 2 ft, with energy below 10. The wind is mostly light, but it doesn’t matter because there’s no wave to ride.

Then, finally, we get a pulse. Tuesday the 18th of August morning. Now we’re talking. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the W, with a 6-second period. The combined energy hits 201 – that’s moderate wave energy. The wind is offshore from the ENE at 6 mph, so it’s clean. The conditions are described as “good surf conditions”. This is the standout. That 5 ft is getting into the zone where it’s a bit much for beginners, but it’s going to be fun for the rest of us. The swell direction is W, very close to the optimum SW, so it should wrap in nicely. The caveat is that short period (6 seconds) means the waves will be a bit crumbly and close together, not the long, lined-up sets of a groundswell. Still, after all this nothing, it’s a welcome sight. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 12 mph from the ESE, staying offshore but stronger, and the swell drops slightly to 5 ft, but the energy is still strong at 183. It’s clean, but the wind will be howling.

After that, it’s back to flat. Wednesday the 19th of August has a risk of thunderstorms and a strong onshore wind, and Thursday the 20th is just messy. The forecast ends on Friday the 21st of August with no swell.

So, the takeaway: the entire period is a write-off until Tuesday the 18th of August morning. That’s your one shot. It’s a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks like the best thing we’ve got on the board. The vibe is quiet, crowds are unlikely most days, but on that Tuesday morning, if the forecast holds, there’ll be a few of us out there.

Rusty.

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