Ammonias Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s be straight with you. For the next 16 days, we're looking at a real mixed bag at Ammonias, and honestly, for the first week, it's pretty grim. You’re not going to want to paddle out for most of it.

We kick things off on Sunday, August 2nd with a bit of swell on the board, around 8ft, but it’s coming from the ENE. That’s a cross-shore wind at 19 mph, leaving it lumpy and cross-choppy. Not good. The energy is moderate at best (1066), but it’s just not clean. This continues through Monday, with the size dropping to 6ft and winds staying cross-shore, but it’s still a mess.

Tuesday the 4th sees the period jump up to 12 seconds, which is a bit better, but the swell has dropped to 5ft and it’s still cross-shore. The energy remains moderate (668), but it’s still marginal. Honestly, it’s one of those times you’d rather be doing something else.

There’s a real flat spell coming up mid-week. From Wednesday the 5th through to the 7th, we’ve got weak, short-period junk and onshore winds. The swell drops right off, and it’s just not worth your time. You’re looking at a solid gap of a few days with nothing on offer.

We get a pulse back for the weekend of August 8th and 9th, but it’s only 6ft to 6ft of short-period ENE windswell with a 7-second period. The wind is cross-shore and 16 mph, so it’s still going to be lumpy and poor. This isn't surf, it's just bump.

The beginning of the second week, from August 10th, things start to change. The energy is still moderate, but the swell direction begins to swing around to the south. It's not big, but that long-period energy is coming. By Wednesday August 12th, we finally see something worth talking about. The swell is 4ft to 4ft, but the period is a solid 17-18 seconds, and the energy jumps up to 1351. That’s a proper groundswell. The catch is, the wind is still cross-shore, but it’s the cleanest it’s been. This is your best chance of the whole fortnight. It's promising, but there's still that cross-shore wind to contend with.

From August 13th through to the 15th, we hold on to that southern energy. It’s a consistent 4ft to 4ft swell with a period of 14-16 seconds and moderate to strong energy (around 1000). The wind stays cross-shore though, so it’s not going to be perfect, but it’s a far cry from the first week. It’s rideable.

The final days, August 16th and 17th, we see that southern energy is still there but it starts to get replaced by the ENE windswell again. The period drops back down to 7-8 seconds, and the size is around 5ft to 6ft. The clean south swell is gone, and it's back to that messy cross-shore chop. A bit of a letdown after the mid-week promise.

The standout, and I mean the only one, is Wednesday August 12th. It's the combination of the biggest, most reliable swell with the longest period and the highest energy. It’s still not perfect because of that cross-shore wind, but it’s the best you're going to get. It’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap nicely, but the waves will be powerful and hollow.

Water temp is sitting at 80°, which is normal for this time of year. All this swell, it’s looking more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers for most of the run. But if you’re keen, keep an eye on that Wednesday.

Rusty.

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