Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Straight up, the next couple of weeks at Ammonias ain't looking good for a proper paddle. We've got a long run of onshore and cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and very few windows where the ocean cleans up enough to make it worth your while. The swell energy is all over the place, but it's mostly from the wrong angles, and the poor conditions will keep the lineup pretty empty—maybe the only positive.

Water temp is 80°F, which is right about average for this time of year. Nowt weird there.

We start Saturday the 15th. There's a bit of swell at 8ft with a short, peaky 8-second period, but the wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore, and the surface is lumpy as all get-out. Wave energy is moderate at 1250, but the quality is shot. By the afternoon, it jumps to 10ft with rain showers and a 35 km/h cross breeze, making it a complete mess. Not your day.

Sunday the 16th kicks up to 13ft with a 10-second period and strong 40 km/h cross-onshore winds. That's big, raw, and blown out—only for the kamikaze crew. Energy is strong at 3175, but it's a wall of whitewater. The afternoon eases to 8ft but the wind stays messy.

Monday the 17th drops to 6ft, but the 25 km/h cross-onshore wind keeps things ugly. Period drops to 8 seconds, energy 846, and it's just lumpy. The afternoon is still cross-shore and chopped. Forget it.

From Tuesday the 18th through Thursday the 29th, the story doesn't improve. Swell heights mostly hover between 2ft and 5ft. The wind stays locked in from the ENE, mostly cross-on or cross-shore with a chop. There's a few moments with longer period SSW groundswell, like on the 20th and 21st with 17-18 second periods, but the height is rubbish—2ft to 2ft—and the energy is weak, around 300-400. It's the kind of swell that might roll through the reefs, but with no push, and the winds are never fully offshore.

The only brief window where things look halfway decent is around the 27th, 28th, and 29th of August. The swell gets a bit more meaningful at 4ft to 5ft, with a long 18-second period from the E on the 27th. Energy jumps to 1639-1728, which is moderate to strong. But the wind is still moderate cross-onshore in the mornings. The afternoons on the 28th and 29th turn to a cross-shore breeze, and while it's still not glassy, it's the cleanest we'll see in this stretch. The break will be inconsistent, though—it's a reef that needs the right tide. We're talking about marginal waves, maybe waist-high plus, but with that long period E swell, it could offer a few lined-up ones if you're patient. It's not a standout, but it's the best of a bad lot.

For most of this 16-day span, the setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddlers. The onshores are consistent and there's enough swell to get them going.

For the few of you who are serious, keep an eye on the 27th through the 29th. The promise is there, but it's a long-range call, so don't book the day off yet. If it cleans up, a few of us might get a proper session in. Until then, keep the boards in the shed.

Rusty.

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