Bicentenial Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: if you’re looking for a proper surf fix at Bicentennial Park, you’re gonna have to be patient. This reef setup is pretty inconsistent, and the next couple of weeks are looking mostly flat and messy. There’s a real dry spell on the cards. We’re looking at a solid stretch of poor surf conditions for about the first week and a half of the forecast. The swell energy is weak, mostly in double digits (like 11 to 48), and the waves are tiny. You’re getting ankle to knee-high dribble from the ESE, with periods around 8 seconds, which is just not doing anything. Mornings are often glassy or clean with light offshore winds, but there’s just no power in the water to make it worth your while.

The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is about normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a spring suit, just a lot of hope.

The afternoons through this flat spell get chopped up by a cross-onshore sea breeze, making even those small waves a bit of a mess. You might see the odd afternoon with a bit more energy, like on the 19th when the swell bumps up to a still-small 3ft, but it’s coming with a moderate cross-onshore wind, so it’s not going to be clean. The combined energy jumps to 154 then, but it’s still a far cry from good. We’re just waiting for the ocean to wake up.

Now, here’s the light at the end of the tunnel. The forecast is showing things start to turn around towards the end of the month. It’s a long way off, so treat it as promising but not set in stone. But the signals are there. Around Thursday the 28th, we start seeing a bit more life. The swell direction swings a little more east, and the period stretches out to 11-12 seconds, which is a real groundswell. The energy starts climbing into the 160s, and with a light offshore wind in the morning, it could shape up to be a clean if not big day. Friday looks even better as that energy builds to 217.

But the standout window, the one that has me a little fired up, is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August. The models are pointing to a proper pulse of E swell, pushing waves to around 4ft, with a period of 12 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a strong 446, which is the biggest reading we see in the whole window. The wind is light and cross-offshore, promising clean, lined-up waves. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s not huge, but it’s the best quality surf on offer. Just a heads-up, the afternoon of that day gets chopped, so you’ll want to be out there early. Also, because this place is inconsistent, when it does turn on, you can expect the crowds to be there – it’ll be busy.

As for that bigger swell on the 29th, at 4ft, it’s still manageable for a confident beginner, but the long period might make the take-offs a bit more critical. If it was any bigger, I’d say leave it to the experts, but this size should be fun for most. The east swell direction is spot on for this break too. It’s going to be worth the wait.

That’s the long and short of it. Get through the flat spell, and keep your eyes on that last Saturday morning. We might get something special.

Rusty.

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