Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for our little corner of the reef.

We’ve got a mixed bag of a fortnight ahead at Bird Rock. The first week is a proper grind of small, windy conditions, but the second week has a couple of sessions that could make it all worthwhile. The water temp is sitting around 56°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.

Things start off pretty flat and forgettable. Monday the 17th has a little 4ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, but the SE wind is on it, keeping things messy. Tuesday the 18th is a write-off with a 12 mph NE cross-breeze and tiny 2ft swell. Honestly, you’d be wasting your time. We’ve got a period of poor surf that runs right through until the end of the first week. By Thursday the 20th, the wind finally swings NW offshore at 16 mph, but the swell is only 2ft and the energy is weak (196). It’s clean, but there’s just not enough push.

Friday the 21st is where it starts to get you excited. The wind goes light NW offshore, dropping to 9 mph, and the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The combined energy climbs to 392, and it’s clean. Saturday the 22nd sees a solid jump in size with 5ft to 5ft SW swell, pushing the energy into the four-digit range (1073-1194), but the wind is cross-off at 12-16 mph. That’s a bit of a wind-swell combo, and the conditions are described as marginal. It’s a bit of a handful.

Now, the standout. Sunday the 23rd is the one to circle. The morning has 5ft SW groundswell, and the wind is a light WNW cross-off at 9 mph. The energy is pumping (996). By the afternoon, the wind swings NW offshore, still light, and the swell holds at 4ft. The conditions are very good. This is the pick of the first week. The crowd factor at Bird Rock is “sometimes,” so it could get a bit busy, but with that offshore wind and a solid SW groundswell from the optimum direction, it’s going to be clean and lined up.

After that, we get a bit of a lull again. Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th have some decent 3ft to 4ft SSW swell with light offshore winds, providing good, clean sessions, but nothing massive. The energy drops back into the 300-500 range.

The second week gets a bit shaky. From Wednesday the 26th onwards, the wind picks up, and the swell drops to 2ft to 3ft. The period stays long, but the wind is mostly cross-off and fresh. There’s a lot of “poor” and “marginal” in the forecast. Then, at the very end, on Sunday the 30th of August, a pulse of 6ft S swell arrives with a short 8-second period and a light WSW wind. The energy is strong (764), and the morning is described as “very good.” But that short period means it’s a windswell, and it’s a bit of a gamble. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore wind, so it’s a one-session wonder. Monday the 31st has a 4ft SSW groundswell with a 14-second period, and the energy is high (1051), but the ESE wind is cross-on, making it choppy.

So, for the real standout, put your money on Sunday the 23rd of August. That SW groundswell, the light offshore wind, and the clean conditions are the best you’re going to get. The setup looks more interesting for a paddle surf than a kite session, as the reef and point will handle the long-period groundswell well.

Rusty.

Read more