Bar Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we're looking at a pretty quiet stretch. The first real bit of surf comes in on Monday afternoon, the 17th of August, but it's a write-off – poor conditions with a weak 3ft ESE windswell and a short period of 7 seconds. That combo of onshore wind and low energy (227) means you can leave the boards in the car.

The whole week stays pretty flat and messy. Through Tuesday and Wednesday there's a bit of knee-high swell, but the wind is all wrong, chopping it up. A glimmer shows up on Wednesday morning the 19th with some 2ft ESE swell and glassy conditions – but it's tiny and the energy is weak (186). Still, if you're a beginner frothing for a paddle, that's your window.

We hit a proper dead zone from Thursday afternoon all the way through the weekend. Heights drop below 2ft, and there's barely any energy in the water. It’s a long, quiet stretch.

The next pulse arrives Monday the 24th of August. We get a bit of S swell pushing 2ft on the afternoon, with a moderate offshore wind from the NW and clean conditions. The wave energy is still light (138), but it's the best we've seen in days. A few little peelers at Bar Beach if you're on a longboard.

Then there's a pretty big gap. We get a few more days of small, average conditions, with some glassy mornings on the 26th and 27th, but the swell stays tiny. It's not until Saturday the 29th of August that things change. A solid S swell pushes 6ft, but the wind is ugly – strong cross-shore at 30 km/h – making it lumpy and messy. The energy is ramping up (453), but you'd be fighting the wind more than the waves.

The standout shows up on Sunday the 30th of August. There's a proper S groundswell with 10ft of swell, and the combined energy is massive (1057). But hear me out – the period is 8 seconds, the wind is cross-onshore at 25 km/h, and the conditions are described as choppy. That's a beast of a swell, but it's going to be a sloppy, blown-out mess. This is expert territory only, and even then, it's gonna look more like a washing machine than a wave. The setup is more for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

The energy sticks around into the start of September, with a 6ft SSE swell on the Monday morning of the 31st, but again the wind is cross-shore and the conditions are poor. It's not until Tuesday the 1st of September that we see a glimmer of hope. A 4ft S groundswell pushes in with a long period of 15 seconds, and the wind is light. The energy is still strong (857), but the onshore wind will put a ripple on the surface. It's a marginal call, but maybe the best wave shape of the whole forecast.

Water temperature at the start is 63°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. So, you'll want a decent spring suit.

Bottom line: There's no real standout. The biggest swell is a complete mess, and the smaller windows are too small. If you're determined, the glassy Wednesday morning on the 19th or the clean offshore Monday afternoon on the 24th are your best bets for a longboard cruise. Otherwise, wait for the next forecast.

Rusty.

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