Big Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s not all smooth sailing. Things start off a bit sleepy, then really fire up with some serious size and energy, before tapering back down. The standout window is absolutely from Thursday the 6th through to the end of the following week. The water is sitting at 57°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

The first real action kicks off on Tuesday morning, August 4th at Big Bay. It’s glassy with a light easterly breeze, and clean 5 ft swell from the southwest. The energy is moderate (484). Not a huge day, but a nice, clean opener to get the arms turning.

Wednesday, August 5th is a write-off. The wind cranks onshore from the north and northwest, turning the 7 ft to 8 ft southwest swell into a choppy mess. Don’t bother.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday morning, August 6th through to Friday afternoon, August 7th is the absolute peak. We’re looking at a solid 10 ft to 12 ft southwest groundswell, with a very long 14 to 15 second period. This is big, powerful stuff. The combined energy is massive (3805 to 4746). The wind is light and offshore or cross-off from the south-southeast, keeping things clean. This is excellent surf, but only for experienced surfers – it’s too big for beginners. The swell direction is a perfect match for Big Bay’s optimum.

Saturday, August 8th drops back a touch, but it’s still a solid 8 ft. The wind turns onshore from the southwest, making it a bit lumpy. It’s marginal.

Sunday, August 9th through Monday, August 10th sees the size jump back up to 12 ft to 13 ft, but with a strong southerly wind. The energy is through the roof (6296 on Sunday morning). The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the sheer size and power mean this is expert territory only. Monday afternoon sees the wind swing offshore from the southeast, cleaning up an 8 ft southerly swell – a much better option for the brave.

From Tuesday, August 11th onwards, the swell settles into a more manageable range of 5 ft to 8 ft, with a very long period (12 to 19 seconds) sticking around. The wind is mostly light and offshore or glassy, especially on Wednesday, August 12th (glassy, 6 ft WSW) and Friday afternoon, August 14th (glassy, 6 ft WSW). This is the sweet spot for intermediate surfers. That long-period groundswell will be best at a point or reef, as it can make beach breaks close out.

The final few days, from Sunday, August 16th on, start to fade. The wind goes onshore again on Monday, August 17th with a 8 ft blown-out swell, so don’t get your hopes up for that. Tuesday, August 18th cleans up nicely with a 8 ft swell from the south-southeast, but by Wednesday, August 19th, it’s fading and the wind is onshore again.

The standout: Without a doubt, Thursday, August 6th and Friday, August 7th for the big, powerful, clean groundswell. For the rest of us, the glassy sessions on Wednesday, August 12th and Friday, August 14th with that long-period, 6 ft to 6 ft swell are the pick of the bunch.

Rusty.

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