Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, looking at the charts, it’s a bit of a tough stretch ahead. The first surfable recommendation we get here at Ammonias isn't until the morning of Thursday the 21st of August, and even then it's looking pretty marginal. The wind is light and cross-onshore from the ESE at 6 mph, with a small 2ft SSW swell trundling in at a long 17 seconds. The water temp is about average for this time of year, but conditions are just barely on the edge of being worth a paddle. The energy is weak, sitting at 255 (moderate wave energy), so don't expect much push.

We then have a run of days from Friday the 22nd through to the end of the month where the surf is shot through with poor conditions. The wind picks up, swinging cross and cross-on from the ENE and NE, getting up to 19 mph and chopping everything up. A decent sized swell (6ft to 7ft) shows up on the 23rd and 24th, but it's short-period windswell from the E and ENE, only 7 seconds. That kind of short period junk is messy, and with the fresh cross-shore wind, it's going to be a lumpy, bumpy mess. The energy is moderate to strong (645 to 827), but it's all low-quality. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The first few days of September start to show a glimmer of hope. The morning of the 1st of September still has a messy 6ft ENE swell, but by the afternoon things get interesting. A much bigger, longer-period groundswell from the E arrives, at 7ft and 13 seconds, with a very strong energy reading of 2077 (moderate wave energy). The wind is still cross-shore from the ENE at 12 mph, so it's not perfect, but the quality is there. This continues into the 2nd of September with a solid 8ft E swell at 13 seconds, energy jumping to 3886 (strong to very strong wave energy). The wind is still moderate cross-shore, so it’s a bit lumpy, but for the more experienced crew, this is the standout. The swell is over 8ft, so it's strictly for experts. The long period on a reef break like Ammonias, which is exposed to the SSE, could mean the straight lines aren't perfect, but there's plenty of power.

That swell lingers into the 3rd of September, but drops to 7ft from the ENE at 11 seconds, with a fresh cross-shore wind making it lumpy again. It’s a marginal call.

So, the standout here is the 2nd of September. It's a long way out, so don't hold me to it, but that big E groundswell has the potential to be the best on offer. Everything else before that is a write-off or a marginal gamble. It's a long wait, but the forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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