Ann Street Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this outlook for Ann Street Peaks is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions, and the standout windows are few and far between. The water temps are sitting at 68°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll wanna grab a good spring suit.

The pattern ahead is dominated by small, weak swell and a whole lot of onshore or cross-onshore wind. The combined wave energy hangs around the low to moderate range for most of the period, topping out at a meagre 198 (moderate energy) at best, but for the most part it’s flirting with the 100-mark or below – that’s weak energy, mate. Things start to get a bit more interesting right at the tail end, but the wind is working against us.

Let’s run through it. On Friday, August 7th, and Saturday, August 8th, it’s a write-off – tiny E swell around 3ft, light cross-shore to onshore winds, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” On Sunday morning, August 9th, we get a brief glimmer. The wind goes glassy, the swell is 3ft from the E with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 198 (moderate). The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s not great, but it’s the best of the first week. That glassy window is a major positive, but the swell is short and weak, so don’t expect much.

Then from Sunday afternoon right through to the end of the second week, it’s a pedal-to-the-metal grind of poor conditions. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell barely scrapes past 3ft until the very end of the outlook. There’s a long gap of nearly a week with no real recommendations.

Now, the real kicker comes in the second week. On Monday, August 17th, we see the swell build to 6ft from the ESE, with a period of just 7 seconds – that’s short period, windswell. The combined energy hits 360 (moderate), but it’s raining, the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore, and the waves are lumpy. Not good.

By Tuesday, August 18th, the swell peaks at 7ft from the ESE, with energy of 1105 (strong), but the period is still a short 8 seconds. The wind is 12–19 mph cross-onshore, and we’ve got rain showers. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” At 7ft, this is expert-only territory, and with that onshore wind, it’s going to be messy and difficult. A beach setup like this, with that much wind, honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Wednesday, August 19th, still sees 7ft from the E with strong energy (1020), but it’s cross-onshore and lumpy. The rest of the week tails off with 4ft to 4ft and persistent cross-onshore wind.

So, the standout – if you can call it that – is Sunday morning, August 9th, at Ann Street Peaks. That glassy morning with 3ft E swell is the only sniff of clean surf. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best on offer. In the second week, Tuesday, August 18th, has the most size, but it’s a full-on onshore mess, so only for the hardcore or the kiters.

Hang in there, folks. It’s a bleak run, but the swell does start to pulse at the end, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty.

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