Benete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in, because the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got one absolute cracker of a session to kick things off, but then we’re in for a long, frustrating stretch of surf that’s just not quite right. Let’s get into it.

The action starts this Friday afternoon, the 21st of August, at Benete. Honestly, this is the standout of the whole run. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft of SW groundswell, and that period is a juicy 17 seconds – proper long-period energy. The wind is a light, clean cross-offshore from the ESE at just 6 mph, and the water is a warm 80°, which is bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy is pumping at 3168, that’s a strong, powerful swell. This is a reef and point setup, so that long-period groundswell will line up beautifully. It’s a bit of a rare break, so when it’s on, it’s special. This is for experienced surfers only, though – at 8 ft with that power, it’s not a beginner's wave. It’s a real gem, but expect crowds as it’s a spot that can get busy.

After that golden window, it’s a bit of a letdown. The weekend and most of the following week are filled with marginal conditions. The swell sticks around through the 22nd and 23rd, still a decent 7 ft to 6 ft from the SSW, but the wind swings onshore or cross-shore, and the consistency drops. The energy is still there, between 1963 and 2677, but the wind is just messing with the surface. It’s not completely blown out, but it’s not clean enough to get excited about. The period holds up ok, but the quality just isn’t there.

From the 24th of August through to the 31st, the outlook gets pretty grim. The swell drops, the wind is generally cross-on, and the forecast confidence is low. The energy drops into the 1000s and even into the 600s by the 31st. There’s a day on the 28th of August with a 8 ft swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph, making it choppy and poor. For a beach reef setup, that’s looking more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing one. It’s a long, dry spell.

There is a little flicker of hope on the 2nd of September. The afternoon session looks glassy with a light SSE breeze, and a solid 8 ft SW swell with a 17-second period. The energy is back up to 3223, so it’s powerful. But it’s far out, so treat it as a promising but less certain option. The same goes for the 4th of September, which shows a clean cross-offshore wind and a 5 ft SW swell – a decent little wave, but again, it’s a long way off.

So, to put it simply: Friday the 21st of August is your day. That’s the one to sacrifice a few things for. After that, you’re looking at a long gap of over a week where the surf is just not worth the effort, with a couple of maybe-options in the second week. Keep an eye on the forecast, but for now, I’d be making plans for this Friday.

Rusty.

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