O'Neills Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for O’Neills Bay, with the first few days looking a bit average before some real magic shows up way down the line.

The pattern starts quiet and a bit messy. The first real action worth paddling out for is on Thursday afternoon, August 27th. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, just a slight air, which is a major win. The swell is a solid 5ft from the WSW with a 13-second period, giving it some nice shape and energy. The combined energy is moderate (827). It’s not massive, but it’ll be clean and fun. The only bummer is crowds are often here, so expect some company.

We get a bit more swell building through the weekend, but the wind stays mostly cross-off or light, so it’s clean. Saturday afternoon, August 29th sees a bump to 6ft from the WSW, 12-second period, with light cross-off breezes. The energy is moderate (966). It’s a solid option for a weekend session, with good surf conditions expected.

Then it gets ugly. From Sunday, August 30th through to Wednesday, September 4th, the onshore winds pick up, and the swell gets big and messy. Sunday sees 7ft with a short, weak 8-second period and onshore wind – poor conditions. It blows up to 15ft on Monday, August 31st, with strong onshore winds and very strong combined energy (8971). That’s a massive, lumpy, dangerous mess. This stretch is for experts only, and even then, it’s not pretty. The setup at O’Neills Bay, being a beach break, is going to be a washing machine. Kite surfers might be frothing, but for paddle surfing, it’s a hard pass.

Things finally clean up again on Saturday, September 6th. This is the standout of the entire forecast. The wind goes glassy again, both morning and afternoon, with a solid 8ft of WSW groundswell pumping in at a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is strong (3216-3554). This is proper groundswell. For a beach break, that long period can make the waves stand up steep and close out if it’s straight, but O’Neills can handle it. The forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Expect crowds to be likely.

Sunday, September 7th keeps the goodness going with 8ft to 8ft from the SW, still at a very long 16-second period, and the wind stays clean and cross-off. It’s a little smaller than Saturday, but still a top-notch session.

The rest of the window into the second week has smaller, cleaner surf with good wind, but nothing that beats that big Saturday-Sunday combo. It’s all a bit smaller and more average.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow burn with a few clean windows, but the real prize is the Saturday, September 6th and Sunday, September 7th with that glassy, long-period SW groundswell. That’s the one you want to be on the beach for.

Rusty.

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