Big Ben Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Lookin’ at the forecast for Big Ben, and I gotta be straight with ya – it’s a frustrating run. The first few days are a write-off, and the whole 16-day window is a mixed bag of almosts and maybes. There’s no true standout, but a couple of moments might be worth a look if you’re desperate and local.

The water is sitting at about 83°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a bit strange, but not unpleasant.

The whole period starts with a thud. Saturday the 5th through Sunday the 7th is a total loss. The swell is all over the place, but the wind is howling onshore or cross-shore, churning it up, and the weather is nasty with rain and storms. The combined swell energy is moderate at 168 but the quality is just poor. It’s a write-off.

Monday the 8th is where it gets interesting, but also tricky. Tuesday morning brings a solid 10 ft south swell with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 3392. The wind is a moderate cross-shore from the southwest. The word is that the swell might be too big for this break – 10 ft is pushing into expert territory, and Big Ben is a beach/jetty. For a regular surfer, it’s likely a washing machine. Tuesday afternoon calms down a bit to 8 ft, and the wind drops to a light cross-shore, but the energy is still moderate at 1026. The comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s the best of a bad bunch, but don’t expect perfection. The swell direction is from the SSE, which is not the optimum SE direction for this spot.

Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th stay messy with onshore wind and poor surf conditions. The energy drops into the moderate 700 range, but the wind is fresh and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.

There’s a little glimmer from Friday the 11th morning through to Saturday the 12th afternoon. The swell drops to 3 ft to 6 ft, and the wind turns cross-offshore from the NNE, giving clean conditions. The period is short on the 11th (7 seconds), but on the 12th, a long-period 14-second groundswell from the east shows up. The combined energy is weak to moderate (358 to 400). This is a tiny, long-period swell – it’ll be nice and clean, but at a beach/jetty, it might break pretty straight. It’s a beginner-friendly size, though. The problem is the marginal comment – it’s still a gamble.

The second week is a bit of a blur. Sunday the 13th to Monday the 14th offers small, clean waves in the 3 ft to 5 ft range, but with easterly wind and moderate energy (406 to 910). Tuesday the 15th morning has a 5 ft east swell with a 13-second period, and combined energy of 1566 – that’s a solid moderate energy. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore, making it clean. It’s the most promising day in the second week. The rest of the week from Wednesday the 16th onward fades out with small, weak swell (2 ft to 4 ft) and poor conditions.

Honestly, if you’re a beginner, Tuesday the 15th morning might be your best shot for some clean, small waves. For the more experienced, Tuesday the 8th morning has the size, but it’s a gamble on whether it’s too big and messy. No real standout here, just a few windows where the stars might align.

Rusty.

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