Altona Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – we’ve got a tough stretch ahead for the Altona Pier area. Over the next 16 days, there’s not a single session I’d call a standout. It’s a long, quiet run, and I’ll walk you through it.

Starting off, from Sunday the 26th right through to Friday the 7th of August, the swell is tiny and the energy is weak. The water temp is sitting at 53°F, which is a touch colder than normal for the time of year – you’ll feel that chill.

Let’s get into it. The first few days, from Sunday the 26th up to Tuesday the 28th, we’ve got SSW swell hanging around 1.0ft to 1ft, with periods around 11 to 13 seconds. The combined wave energy is pitiful – between 24 and 42. The wind is offshore or glassy at times, so it’s clean, but there’s just no push. The waves are too small to ride properly; it’s a flat-looking affair.

Wednesday the 29th sees a jump in swell height to 4ft from SSW, with a period of 16 seconds (a proper groundswell). The combined energy hits 582 to 628, which shows some real juice. But here’s the kicker – the wind is cross-onshore and fresh, 15 to 19 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. The wave comment says “poor surf conditions,” so even with the size, it’s messy and not worth paddling out.

From Thursday the 30th through to Monday the 3rd of August, the swell drops back to 1.0ft again, with weak energy (34-70). Winds are a mix, but the size is just not there. Tuesday the 4th offers nothing – 1.0ft and then a 1ft WSW windswell with a 3-second period, which is just wind bump, not surf.

The first faint glimmer comes on Wednesday the 5th of August morning: a 1.0ft SSW groundswell with a very long 19-second period, and combined energy of 110. The wind is light cross-offshore, and it’s glassy – clean. The comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which is the best we’ve seen, but honestly, 1.0ft is barely a ripple, even with that long period.

Thursday the 6th of August morning is similar – 2ft from SSW, period 14 seconds, energy 165, and light offshore winds – clean – but again, tiny waves. The afternoon holds 2ft from S with 106 energy and a moderate offshore.

Friday the 7th of August afternoon brings a 2ft S swell with 152 energy – still modest but the best size in this whole window. Moderate offshore winds keep it clean. But it’s still not enough to call a good wave.

After that, from Saturday the 8th of August to Monday the 10th, it tails off again to 0.3ft to 1ft with no energy, and the winds get strong and cross-shore or onshore, so forget it.

There are no decent surf options here in the 16-day window. Altona Pier is a spot that rarely breaks at the best of times, and this run confirms it. Sometimes forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to chase.

Stay patient, Rusty.

Read more