Baldwin Beach Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Baldwin Beach Park over the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the start of this outlook is a bit of a tough one. The first solid recommendation for a surf doesn't pop up until the morning of Friday, 21st August, and even then it’s a real marginal call. From Friday morning right through to the end of the month, it’s a run of poor surf conditions with messy cross-shore winds. There’s a gap of several days with no real green light to paddle out, so you’ll be waiting a while for anything decent.

The first chance to wet a line comes on Friday morning, 21st August, at Baldwin Beach Park. It’s a reef and point setup, very consistent, and exposed to the NNE swell. The water temperature is sitting at 80°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there. You’re looking at a 4 ft swell from the east with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak at 289. The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the east, so there’s a slight cross-chop on the surface. It’s not great, but it’s the only show in town. The rest of Friday and Saturday stay poor with moderate cross-shore winds and bigger chop.

Sunday, 23rd August, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the east, period stretches to 9 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to moderate levels (430 to 446). But the wind freshens to 19 mph from the east-northeast, making for a lumpy cross-chop. Still not worth a paddle.

Monday, 24th August through to Saturday, 29th August, is more of the same story. The swell stays around 5 ft to 5 ft, mostly short period, and the wind is a persistent moderate cross-shore. The conditions are consistently poor.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. On Sunday morning, 30th August, the swell jumps to 6 ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 992, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore. It’s still only a marginal call, but this is the standout of the whole outlook. The longer period will mean better shaped waves, but the break is a reef and point, so it should handle that long period energy well. It’s the best on offer, but it’s still got a cross-chop.

Monday, 31st August, brings a solid pulse of swell. The swell height measures 10 ft in the morning, rising to 12 ft in the afternoon, from the east-northeast with a period of 10 to 11 seconds. The combined energy is very strong (1777 to 2823). This is big, powerful swell. But the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, and the conditions are described as poor. This is only for experts, and honestly, the wind is going to ruin it. For a beach and reef setup like this, the wind is just too strong and onshore, making it more of a kite-surfing day than a clean paddle session.

The first few days of September see the swell drop back but still with strong cross-onshore winds. Wednesday morning, 2nd September, offers a brief glimmer with a 7 ft swell from the east-northeast and a rare cross-offshore wind from the east-southeast, giving clean conditions. The combined energy is moderate (615). That’s a window to watch, but it’s a short-lived moment.

After that, it’s more marginal calls through to Saturday, 5th September, with the swell dropping to 5 ft and a period of 11 seconds, light cross-shore winds, but still only a marginal surf forecast. The longer period that day (11 seconds) is a nod to better shape, but the energy is moderate.

Look, the long-range call for the end of August and into early September has some size and power, but the wind is the enemy here. The morning of Sunday, 30th August, is your best bet in the whole 16 days, but it’s a long way out, so treat it as promising but not certain. For now, the surf is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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