Bay Street Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s look at what Bay Street has coming up.

Honestly, the next 16 days are a bust for decent waves. We got a long dry spell with hardly any surf worth paddling out for. The first record is Saturday, August 22, and it’s all downhill from there.

Saturday the 22nd starts with a tiny 1ft SW swell with a very long 18-second period. The combined wave energy is weak (107). There’s onshore wind at 6 mph, and the conditions are just poor. The period is so long that at a beach break the waves will break too straight, and the size is pathetic. Saturday afternoon is the same story – 1ft, onshore, no good. Sunday the 23rd is more of the same: 1ft SW swell, onshore wind, poor. Energy picks up a bit (199) but it’s still not surfable.

Monday the 24th we get a tiny cross-onshore breeze and the wave state has light cross-onshore with small wind ripples. Swell height is still 1ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, and it’s only a marginal forecast. Not worth it.

This pattern of tiny, onshore, poor surf sticks around through the end of August. Tuesday the 25th has 2ft, Wednesday the 26th has 2ft, Thursday the 27th has 2ft – all with onshore winds and poor to marginal conditions. There’s a small bump on Wednesday afternoon when the swell shifts to a S direction at 3ft and the energy hits 493, but the wind is still directly onshore, so it’s rubbish.

Thursday the 27th afternoon sees a slight improvement: 3ft from the SSW, 14-second period, energy 417, but still onshore. Not inspiring. Friday the 28th morning has 2ft from the SSW with a very long 19-second period and cross-onshore wind – marginal. Energy is 333.

We get a slightly better push on Saturday the 29th morning: 3ft from the SSW, 17-second period, and near calm wind (3 mph onshore). Energy is 445, but it’s still marginal. Not clean.

Sunday the 30th through to Tuesday September 1st is more of the same – 3ft down to 2ft, onshore winds, period dropping. Tuesday afternoon sees a sudden shift to a 4ft W swell with a short, weak 7-second period, energy at 300, and it’s still onshore. That’s poor windswell.

Wednesday September 2nd offers 4ft from the W, still only 7 seconds, onshore wind, energy 282. Marginal.

The last interesting window is Friday September 4th morning. Swell is 3ft from the SSW, 18-second period, wind almost calm (3 mph) but cross-onshore. The energy jumps to 619 – moderate to strong. Still marginal due to the cross-onshore ripples. Not a standout.

Saturday September 5th morning has 3ft from the SSE, 15-second period, cross-onshore wind, and strong energy at 795. This is the best the whole stretch offers, but with cross-onshore wind and a marginal forecast, it’s not a sure thing.

Sunday September 6th morning closes with 4ft from the SSE, 15-second period, onshore wind, and strong energy (764). Marginal.

Bottom line: No real standouts. The biggest swell is 4ft, the winds are nearly always onshore or cross-onshore, and the quality is poor to marginal. Beginners can handle the tiny stuff, but conditions are messy. For everyone else, leave the board at home. If you kite, the stronger energy days on September 4th and 5th with cross-onshore wind might be fun.

That’s it. Rusty out.

Read more