Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s be straight with you. The 16-day window out at Ammonias is looking pretty grim for a paddle. We got a solid run of surf on the way, but the wind is just gonna ruin it for us. It’s a classic case of plenty of ocean energy but no clean lines to show for it.

The first few days, from Friday the 31st through to the 4th of August, we have a good amount of swell, but the ENE cross-shore breeze is chewing the place up. Friday afternoon sees 7ft of east swell with a short 7-second period and the wave energy is moderate at 917. It’s bumpy and cross-choppy, making it a real battle. Over the weekend, the swell pushes up to 8ft on Saturday, with the combined energy jumping to a strong 1183. It’s got size, but with that fresh cross-shore wind again, it’s just lumpy and maxed out. Sunday drops to 8ft and it’s still cross-shore and messy. The water temp is 80°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. For the first few days, the setup is just poor. At 8ft plus, this is already expert territory size-wise, but with the chop, it’s not doing anyone any favors.

Monday the 3rd, the swell backs off a touch to 6ft, but that cross-shore wind remains. The energy drops to a moderate 598. Through the middle of the week, the swell decreases with a bit of a longer period arriving, but the wind turns cross-onshore. That means it's still going to be choppy and messy. The period stretches out to 12 seconds on Tuesday the 4th, but the swell is dropping and the waves are just fat. The energy is still moderate at 679, but it's not working.

By the 6th and 7th, it's bleak. Wave heights tumble to around 3ft to 4ft with weak energy readings in the 288-401 range. It's just poor surf, with a lot of closeouts and not much push.

We get a brief tease on the 9th, with a long-period SSW groundswell of 18 seconds arriving, but it's only 2ft to 2ft. That long period is nice, but there’s just not enough size to make it interesting. Later that week, the 11th sees another pulse of ENE wind-swell at 6ft, but yet again, it’s cross-onshore and messy.

Through the second week, it stays pretty average. There are a couple of days with the S swell mixing in, and periods of 16-19 seconds, but the heights are just not there—mostly in the 2ft to 3ft range. The energy is moderate, but the wind stays cross-shore or cross-onshore. It’s a lot of froth, but no actual bite.

Honestly, for the whole window, there’s no standout day worth getting too excited about. The only real pull is the sheer size and energy of that weekend swell, but with the wind conditions, it's going to be a grinder, not a glider. If you’re a strong paddler who doesn’t mind a bumpy battle, you might get some on Saturday the 1st, but the quality is likely to be poor. The consistent theme is ENE wind messing up the surface. If this keeps blowing like this, the setup might honestly look more interesting for a kite surfer than for us. I’d be hunting for a sheltered spot, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.

It’s a tough run, but looking at the data, there are past periods of poor conditions that have gone on for a while, but a stretch this long can't last forever. You just gotta be patient. This is one of those times to get your gear fixed and wait for the wind to clock around.

Rusty.

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