Bar Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what we’ve got shaping up over the next couple of weeks.

Water temps at Bar Beach are running about 63°F, which is a touch cooler than average for this time of year – you’ll feel it, but nothing crazy.

The first few days are pretty quiet. Wednesday afternoon serves up some 4ft east swell with a 10-second period, but that 30 km/h cross-shore wind from the ENE is cranking up lumpy cross-chop – not worth paddling out.

Thursday morning looks cleaner with a light north wind going cross-offshore, but the swell is down to 3ft from the ESE, only 7 seconds, and the energy is weak (102). Surfable, but nothing to write home about.

From Thursday afternoon through to the end of the following week, it’s a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf. Heights range from 0.7ft to 3ft, periods are short, and winds are all over the place. There’s a brief moment on Sunday morning, 23rd August, with glassy 2ft from the SE, but it’s only 5 seconds and weak energy (64). Not enough to get excited about.

We’re looking at a real gap in quality surf until the end of August.

Then the real standout pops up: Friday morning, 28th August. That’s the first proper clean session – 3ft from the south with a 10-second period, moderate energy (229), and a light NNW wind going cross-offshore. The surf is clean, the wind is friendly, and it’s the best call in the whole forecast. If you’ve got one session to pencil in, that’s it.

After that, things get mixed again, but the last few days of August swing big. From Sunday afternoon, 30th August, through to Thursday 3rd September, a solid south swell builds. Sunday afternoon hits 7ft from the south (10 seconds, 888 energy), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy – not great for surfing.

The real power comes from Monday 31st August onwards: 8ft to 12ft from the SSE, with periods from 12 to 14 seconds. That’s strong wave energy (2004 to 4822) and strictly expert territory. The wind is mostly cross-shore from the ENE, so expect some chop. At 12ft and 14 seconds, this is a heavy groundswell – barreling but tough to paddle into. Not for the faint-hearted.

Given the size and wind conditions, this setup might be better suited for kite surfers than paddle surfers during the peak of that swell.

So here’s the bottom line: the first week and a half is mostly flat or messy. The standout is Friday morning, 28th August – clean, fun, and manageable. Then the end of the month brings a big, powerful south swell that’s best left to the experts or the kite crew.

Rusty

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