Back Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. We’ve only got one spot to work with, Back Beach, so I’ll be honest with you about what’s on offer and when to bother paddling out.

We start off with a tricky situation. There’s a ton of energy in the water right away on Monday the 24th of August – we’re talking about a strong, powerful swell (combined energy of 2736). The morning session is the real deal for experienced surfers only. We’ve got a solid 8ft groundswell from the WSW with a super long 14-second period, meaning those waves will have some serious push and shape. The best part? It’s glassy, dead calm air with just a slight breeze from the ESE at 3 mph. The water is sitting at 66°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there. This is the standout session of the whole outlook for Back Beach, and it’s right now. If you’re advanced and you can get out there Monday morning, that’s your window.

Now, the afternoon on Monday the 24th turns to junk with a cross-on breeze, so don’t bother. Tuesday the 25th is a letdown with messy winds and smaller swell, and the quality is not there.

Here’s where things get heavy, but not in a good way for most of us. Wednesday morning the 26th of August sees a massive jump in size. We’re looking at an 12ft WSW groundswell with a period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is absolutely pumping at 7484. The wind is clean offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, so the face will be smooth. But let’s be real – at 12ft, this is expert territory only. This is way too big for anyone who isn’t a seasoned charger. It stays huge through Thursday and well into the first week of September, with a lot of those days blown out by strong onshore winds. You’ll see a lot of “poor” flags and high numbers like 5882 and 4334, but with the wind all wrong, it’s just a messy, lumpy ocean.

There is a promising window again late in the run. On Monday the 7th of September, we get a morning session that looks a lot like our first standout. Clean, glassy conditions with a 3 mph offshore from the East, and a solid 8ft WSW groundswell (combined energy 3737). That’s a great, powerful wave for the experienced crew, and it’s clean as a whistle. Then Tuesday the 8th of September morning is another gem for experts only: dead calm, glassy, with a 10ft SW groundswell. That’s going to be huge and perfect, but again, only if you’ve got the skills for 10ft surf. After that, the wind turns onshore and the quality drops fast.

Overall, Back Beach has two true standouts: the Monday the 24th of August morning and the Monday the 7th of September morning. Both offer powerful, clean, long-period groundswell for experienced surfers. Everything else in between is either too big with bad wind, or just messy. If you’re a beginner, stay well clear of this beach for the entire 16 days – it’s almost all too big or too windy for you.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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