Big Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks. It’s not going to be a wild ride, but there are a few windows where the ocean will clean up and give us something to work with. The overall vibe is small, with a few pulses of energy pushing through, so you gotta pick your moments.

For the first few days, we’re looking at mainly ankle to knee-high stuff. The swell is weak, with the energy in the 189-280 range, which is pretty average. It’s surfable, but nothing to get too excited about. The wind is mostly cross-off or light, keeping things clean, but the waves themselves are lacking that punch. Early Friday morning is glassy, but it’s just not doing much. Saturday will be similar, with a cross-off breeze and a bit more energy (280), but still just small, clean waves.

Now, the first real standout in this stretch is shaping up for the morning of Wednesday, August 12th. The swell is still modest at 3ft, but the energy jumps up to 875, which is a sign of a more organized, stronger swell. The period is a solid 18 seconds, so there’s some real groundswell in the water. The wind is a light cross-off, which should keep the faces clean. This is the pick of the first week. The following morning, Thursday, August 13th, also looks decent, with a similar 4ft swell and 717 energy. It’s a good little run.

After that, we see a bit of a dip. The swell drops back, and the wind picks up, making conditions less favorable. The mornings of the 15th and 16th are looking pretty poor, with choppy conditions expected. The energy is down and the quality is poor. We’ll see a slight improvement into the 17th, but it's nothing special.

The real promise, though, is a week and a half out. Starting on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 19th, things start to shift. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period is a very long 24 seconds, and the wind turns offshore. The energy is 385, and it just feels cleaner. This is the sign of a new, long-period groundswell arriving. Thursday the 20th looks even better, with light glassy conditions in the morning and a 2ft SW swell. The energy is up to 477, and the period is still a long 20 seconds. This is where it gets interesting.

This long-period swell is best suited for a spot like Big Beach, which is a point break. The long period can make beach breaks close out, but a point will hold the line and give you some proper walls. The swell direction is out of the SW, which lines up perfectly with the optimum for this break. It’s a long-range call, so don’t book the time off work just yet, but it’s a promising sign. The water is sitting at 80°, which is about normal for this time of year, so a rash vest is all you need.

So, in short: the first week is for the patient, the middle is a bit of a washout, but the end of the window, around the 19th and 20th, is where the real potential lies. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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