Bar Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks for Bar Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some clean windows but plenty of chop to dodge too. The first few days are small and tricky, so you’ll want to pick your moments. The real highlight is shaping up for the first weekend of September, so keep that in mind.

The opening days are pretty average. Monday the 24th has a clean morning with a light cross-off breeze and around 2.5ft of south swell (218 energy), but it’s small and the afternoon gets chopped out by an easterly breeze. Tuesday the 25th has a bit more size on the morning – 4.5ft from the northeast – but the period drops to 7 seconds, which is short and junky, and it’s not great. The wind stays cross-off, so it might be surfable, but it’s not a standout.

Wednesday the 26th is weak and messy, dropping to under 2ft, and the afternoon gets onshore and choppy. Thursday the 27th has a bump in energy, 4.5ft south swell with a 9-second period (332 energy), but the conditions are questionable – the surf report calls it marginal, so I wouldn’t get too excited. Friday the 28th is better: a clean morning with 3.5ft south swell and a 10-second period (283 energy). That’s a decent little window, light winds, and it should be fun for a beginner-friendly wave.

Saturday the 29th is the first true standout. The morning is glassy – literally no wind – with 3.5ft of south-southeast swell and a solid 10-second period (242 energy). That’s clean, tidy, and perfect for a relaxed session. It’s small enough for everyone. The afternoon gets ruined by an onshore easterly, so get out early.

Sunday the 30th is a write-off: small, onshore, and not worth the paddle. Monday the 31st drops right off, under 1.5ft, and even though it’s glassy, there’s barely a ripple to ride. Tuesday the 1st of September and Wednesday the 2nd are both tiny and mostly poor, with occasional glassy patches but no real swell.

Thursday the 3rd has a moderate offshore northwesterly, but the swell is only 1.5ft – clean but gutless. Friday the 4th afternoon is interesting: a clean cross-off with 2.5ft of south swell (203 energy), and it’s a much better prospect than the morning’s nothing. That’s a small but fun end-of-week option.

Now, here’s the one to circle: Saturday the 5th of September. The energy jumps right up – 463 in the morning and 705 by the afternoon, with swell around 3ft. The period lengthens, hitting 11 seconds in the morning and 16 seconds in the afternoon. That’s proper groundswell, pushing in from the south-southeast. The catch is the conditions are called marginal – a little cross-shore in the morning and a gentle cross-onshore in the afternoon – but with that much energy and a long period, there will be waves. It’s not going to be glassy, but it’s the biggest, most powerful swell of the period, and it’s worth checking.

Sunday the 6th of September morning is the other standout. Clean conditions, light cross-off breeze, and 3ft of south-southeast swell with a 13-second period (307 energy). That’s proper, well-shaped surf – the kind you want to be out for. It’s a point-break style wave, and that long period should wrap nicely.

After that, it fades away fast. Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are poor, small, and onshore – Tuesday has a fresh 30 km/h southerly and rain, so don’t bother. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

So, the best of the bunch is clearly the first weekend of September – that strong energy on the 5th and the clean morning on the 6th. You’ll want a shortboard for the 5th, but on the 6th a funboard or longboard will glide. Bar Beach is a beach break, fairly consistent, and crowds are often around on the good days, so expect company. It’s not a spot for kites unless the wind gets wild, and for the most part you’re better off on a paddle board. The middle of the window – the 29th, the 31st, and the 2nd – has clean mornings but tiny waves, so it’s a good time to work on your pop-up.

Stay stoked.

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