Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Ammonias.

The outlook is a slow burner. We’ve got a long stretch of mostly marginal, cross-shore wind and pretty average conditions to sit through before things finally start looking up towards the end of the second week. There’s a solid gap of days where the surf is just not worth paddling out for, so be patient.

From Wednesday the 26th of August all the way through to the start of September, it’s a real struggle. The wind is stuck in the ENE to NE quarter, blowing moderate to fresh, and it’s mostly cross or cross-onshore. The swell is there, but it’s small, messy, and short-period. On Wednesday the 26th morning, we’ve got a 2ft SSW swell but with a 16 mph cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and poor. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing out of the ordinary. The combined energy sits around 566 (moderate), but it’s not clean enough to enjoy. Afternoons and the following days are much the same—cross-shore winds, marginal wave heights around 3ft to 4ft, and the energy stays moderate (between 583 and 939). The period does drop to 7 seconds from the 30th of August, which is really short and weak. That ENE windswell stays around 5ft to 6ft, but with those short periods and cross-shore winds, it’s just a lumpy, uninviting mess. Honestly, this stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then, we hit a bit of a lull again on the 2nd and 3rd of September, with the swell dropping back to 3ft from the south and cross-onshore winds. The energy is still moderate (637-760), but the quality is poor. Things don’t really improve until the 7th of September.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The best window of the entire forecast is Monday the 7th of September through Tuesday the 8th. Monday morning brings a 3ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period, clean cross-off winds from the north at 16 mph, and the combined energy jumps to 1065 (strong). That’s a proper groundswell, and with the wind offshore, the reef at Ammonias will be handling it beautifully. The afternoon pushes the swell to 4ft, still clean. Then Tuesday the 8th is the real standout. Morning has a 4ft south swell, 12-second period, light north winds at 9 mph, and energy at 1104 (strong). The afternoon steps up to 5ft from the SSE, 11-second period, still clean with a light NNW breeze. The wave comment says excellent for experienced surfers, and that’s spot on. The swell direction from the SSE is right in the wheelhouse for Ammonias, and the winds are nearly glassy. It’s a reef break, so it can handle the longer period well. Keep in mind, crowds are often here, so you might have some company, but for that quality, it’s worth it.

After that, Wednesday the 9th starts to fade. Morning still has a 5ft SSE swell but the wind shifts to a light SSW cross-onshore, and the energy stays strong (1130), but it’s not as clean. The afternoon gets messy again with a 16 mph cross-shore. And by Thursday the 10th, it’s back to poor conditions with cross-onshore winds and energy dropping to 928 (moderate).

So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a write-off—windy, messy, and short-period junk. Hold out for Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September. Those two days at Ammonias are the real deal with clean, strong groundswell and offshore winds. That’s your window.

Rusty.

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