Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's heading our way for the next couple of weeks.

The first bit of surf arrives on Wednesday afternoon, but it's not going to be for everyone. Big Bay gets a pulse of 4ft SW groundswell, and the water is running a bit colder than usual at 57°F, with an anomaly of -4°F. It's a clean cross-offshore breeze, so the lines will look good, but that long-period energy (12 seconds) and the wave energy levels (1104) are solid. This one's for the experienced crew.

Thursday morning sees a shift to a 5ft SSW swell, with a clean WNW offshore wind. That's a good sign, but the forecast flags it as marginal. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-on wind, so not the pick of the week.

Friday 28 August is a real standout. We're looking at a 3ft WSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The wind is glassy in the morning – zero wind. That's a proper window of clean, lined-up waves. The energy is solid for the size (644). It's not huge, but for a long-period groundswell on a point, it'll be a dream. Keep in mind, that long period might make it a bit tricky on a beach break, but at a spot like this, it'll be pure.

Saturday 29 August holds some promise with a 5ft WSW swell, but it's cloudier with a clean cross-off in the morning. The swell energy is climbing (805). The best of the bunch, though, is Sunday the 30th. Morning glassy conditions with a 7ft WSW swell at 13 seconds. This is the highlight of the first week – excellent, solid surf for experienced surfers with very strong wave energy (1617). The afternoon gets a cross-chop, so be on it early.

Things get a little messy from Monday the 31st through to the end of the first week, with onshore winds and smaller, less powerful swell.

Now, looking into the second week – this is where it gets interesting for the big-wave crew. Tuesday 1 September brings a big jump: a 10ft SW swell, but with 25 km/h cross-on winds. It’s going to be a choppy, powerful mess (2744 energy) – not a paddle session. More of a spectacle. The swell keeps building into a 12ft SW groundswell with the same issue on the wind. Paddling will be a battle.

Wednesday 2 September might offer a brief respite with a 10ft WSW swell and lighter cross-off winds, but the wave comment suggests it's marginal. By Thursday 3 September, a 12ft S swell arrives with gale-force SSE winds at 55 km/h. That's pure windswell with short 10-second periods and very strong energy (3073). Forget the paddle board – this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The end of the run (from the 7th to the 10th) fades back to small, weak swells under 3ft. There is a brief flurry of clean, small waves on the 9th and 10th with a 2ft to 3ft SW groundswell and clean offshore winds. The energy is very low (between 224 and 532), but with 14 to 16-second periods, a longboard might find a few fun runners.

The absolute standout is Friday 28 August, early morning at Big Bay. That glassy, long-period groundswell will be a gift. The big outside call is Sunday 30 August morning – if you've got the skill, that's the biggest, cleanest swell of the period for the experienced surfer.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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