Austinmer Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Austinmer Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a slow start. For the first week and a half, the surf is small and mostly messy, with a lot of cross-shore or onshore wind spoiling what little energy there is. There’s nothing worth paddling out for until we get to the tail end of the window.

The first real glimmer comes on Thursday morning, 20th August. The swell is a tiny 4ft from the NE, but with a period of only 6 seconds, it’s pretty weak and wobbly – combined energy of just 129 (moderate). The wind is light from the NNW, giving a clean, cross-offshore look, so it’s surfable but very ordinary. The afternoon goes glassy, with the swell dropping to 3ft and energy down to 79 (weak). It’s a mellow session for a log, but nothing to get excited about.

Friday 21st August morning is similar: 3ft from the ENE, cross-offshore wind, clean. The 7-second period isn’t doing it any favours. Energy is 53 (weak). Not a standout.

From there, the following days are mostly flat or blown out until we hit the end of the month. There’s a gap of pretty average conditions from the 22nd through to the 29th.

Now, the standout – and it’s a big one – is on Sunday morning, 30th August. A solid 7ft swell from the SSE with a very long period of 18 seconds. Combined energy is a massive 4094 (very strong). The wind is light from the SSW, so it’s clean with small crossing wind ripples. This is a proper groundswell. But here’s the thing: at Austinmer Beach, a 7ft, long-period SSE swell is likely to be too big for most, and the period is so long that it might break a bit straight on the beach. For novices, it’s definitely too big – over 5ft. For experts, it’s a go. The afternoon is even bigger at 8ft, but with onshore wind from the ESE, so it’s messy and only for the brave.

Monday 31st August morning sees a drop to 6ft from the SSE, period 11 seconds, energy 739 (strong). Wind is light from the NNE, cross-shore, so it’s clean but still on the bigger side. The water temperature is 64°F, which is about average for the time of year (anomaly of 1°F). So, no surprises there.

After that, the swell fades into the first days of September, with waist-high leftovers and onshore winds.

So, the call: The best on offer is Sunday 30th August morning – that’s the one for the experienced crew. It’s a big, long-period groundswell, clean, but it’s a beast. If you’re not confident, give it a miss. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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