Apollo Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. This Apollo Bay stretch has a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious power building for the patient ones.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at the first recommendation for Tuesday the 25th of August. The morning kicks off with a solid 5 ft SW swell, running at a nice 13-second period. The wind is glassy from the NW, so the surface will be clean. Wave energy is strong at 1041, so there’s some punch behind these sets. Water temp is sitting at 57°, which is almost exactly average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

But honestly, that Tuesday morning is about the only real highlight in the first few days. The rest of that week is pretty average. Wednesday the 26th drops off and the wind turns cross-off, keeping things a bit messy. Thursday is smaller, dropping to 3 ft, and while it’s clean, it lacks the grunt to really get excited.

Now, Friday the 28th of August is where things start to cook. We get a proper groundswell. The morning shows 5 ft from the SW, but the period jumps to a long 18 seconds. Combined energy hits 1641, which is solid. The wind is light and cross-off, so the lines should be clean. This is definitely one of the standouts for the first week – it’s going to have some serious push and length to the rides.

Then Saturday the 29th keeps that momentum rolling. The afternoon gets a bump to 6 ft SW, still with a 14-second period, and we get proper offshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph. The combined energy skyrockets to 2034. That’s moderate-to-strong energy, and with clean conditions, it’s a proper session for anyone who knows what they’re doing.

Sunday the 30th is the big dog for the first week. The afternoon brings a 10 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period. Combined energy is a whopping 5110 – that’s very strong. The wind stays light and cross-off, so the waves will be powerful and lined up. This is expert territory, no doubt. It’s too big for beginners, but for the experienced crew, this is the one to circle on the calendar.

Monday the 31st still has plenty of size – 7 ft from the SW – and the wind turns glassy again with a NE breeze in the morning and WNW in the afternoon. That energy is still high at 2214, but it’s a step down from Sunday’s peak. Still a very good day to be out.

Things start to drop off into September. The first week of September looks smaller, with some cross-off winds and a few lighter days. Tuesday the 1st has some potential in the afternoon with 5 ft SW at 15 seconds and light NW wind, but it’s nothing compared to that August run.

Now, there’s a big gap here for a few days around the 2nd and 3rd of September where the wind gets strong and the quality gets messy. But we’re looking at a massive swing on Saturday the 5th of September. The morning shows a beast of a swell: 13 ft from the WSW, period at 14 seconds. Combined energy is 8681 – very strong. The wind is glassy from the W. That is an exceptional, expert-only session. The afternoon gets even bigger at 16 ft, but the wind swings cross-on, so the quality drops significantly.

Sunday the 6th is still big, with 10 ft and cross-on wind, making it less appealing for paddle surfing. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a traditional surf session.

The following week trails off. There’s a small window on Monday the 7th of September with 7 ft from the SSW and light cross-off wind – a decent cleanup. And a final interesting note on Tuesday the 8th of September: while the morning is small, the afternoon brings a 3 ft SW swell with a very long 20-second period, and offshore wind from the WSW. Energy is still strong at 1705. That’s a tricky one – long-period groundswell like that can break straight on the beach, but it’ll be clean.

So, to wrap it up: the standout is Sunday the 30th of August for pure size and power, and Friday the 28th of August for that long-period quality with good wind. The massive Saturday the 5th of September is only for the experts in the morning. Crowds are “sometimes” here, so you might have company on the good days. Apollo Bay is a beach and point setup, so the long-period swells will work better around the point.

Stay safe and know your limits.

- Rusty

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