Anzacs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk surf. The first real chance to paddle out at Anzacs hits us Tuesday morning, August 18th. A solid 4ft SW groundswell is rolling in with a long, juicy 15-second period, pumping some serious energy into the break. The water is sitting at 56°F, which is just a touch warmer than average for this time of year. With a gentle offshore breeze from the NE, you can bet the waves will be clean as a whistle. It’s going to be very consistent and the energy levels are high (821). This is your morning session — it looks superb.

Tuesday afternoon drops off fast. The same solid swell drops a notch to 3ft, and worse, the wind swings SE and turns cross-shore, putting a slight ripple on the face. The energy is a lot weaker (398), and the surf is just not worth rushing for.

Then we hit a dry patch. From Wednesday the 19th right through Friday the 21st of August, the swell is small and the wind is big. Wednesday morning sees 22 mph northerlies, which are messy despite being cross-offshore. The wind cranks up even more in the afternoon. Thursday and Friday are no good either — the wind is always in the way, making it lumpy and choppy. There’s a tiny, inconsistent waist-high swell on Friday morning, but with 16 mph winds, forget it.

Saturday the 22nd of August and Sunday the 23rd see the swell really jump. Saturday morning pushes 7ft from the SW with a 16-second period, which is seriously powerful — energy is through the roof (1983). But the wind is still an issue, whipping in from the NW and making it messy. This is big and powerful enough for experienced surfers only, but the wind kills it for me.

Now here’s a standout: Sunday afternoon, the 23rd of August. The swell is still a healthy 6ft from the SW, with a 14-second period and massive energy (1091). But the kicker is the wind. It turns completely glassy — just a slight air movement. That’s the cleanest window in the entire run. The surf conditions are excellent for experienced surfers, and the power is real. If you’re solid on your feet, this is the session to circle. The main caveat here is the swell size — at 6ft, it’s pushing into the bigger end for intermediates — so it’s for the advanced crew. And this break (Anzacs) is very consistent, so you can rely on it.

Monday the 24th of August is a step down again. Swell drops back under 4ft. The wind is from the NNW and clean cross-off, but with 19 mph in the morning, it’s going to be a bit of a battle. Better to sit that one out.

Another rough stretch from Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 26th. Tuesday brings rain and strong onshore winds of 22-25 mph, bumping the 5ft SW swell into a lumpy mess. Wednesday is onshore but lighter, still no good.

Now, Thursday the 27th of August afternoon is a pleasant surprise. The swell bumps back up to 5ft from the SW with a 12-second period, energy is moderate to strong (699), and the wind comes out of the N at just 9 mph, clean cross-off. Expect very good surf conditions again. This one is a real gem for a quick afternoon paddle.

Friday the 28th of August has a solid 6ft SW swell with a 14-second period and heaps of energy (1394), but the wind is cross-shore from the WNW, putting a slight chop on it. It’s marginal — not the best call, but if you’re desperate, you could get some runners. The crowd could be there, as it’s a “sometimes” spot.

After that, the energy holds, but the wind gets ugly again from the 29th of August onward. The weekend of the 30th and 31st sees big swell (7ft on Monday the 31st, with energy over 2700!), but the wind is either strong offshore or strong cross-on, making it a wild, choppy mess. Best left for the experts or for another day.

The surf then fades in the first days of September, with small, weak swells and tricky winds.

The best on offer: Tuesday morning the 18th (clean, long-period 4ft) and Sunday afternoon the 23rd (glassy, powerful 6ft for experienced surfers) and Thursday afternoon the 27th (clean 5ft). If I had to pick just one true standout, it’s Sunday afternoon on the 23rd — glassy conditions on a substantial, powerful swell don’t come around often.

Rusty.

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