Black Rocks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch coming up for Black Rocks. This spot is a reef break that’s inconsistent, and when it does work, it’s for intermediate crew. The water is sitting at 25°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick steamer at home.

The next few days are pretty grim. Thursday the 6th through to Sunday the 9th of August, you’re looking at cross-shore winds and a moderate cross-chop messing things up. Swell is there, around 2 ft to 4 ft from the SSW/SW, but the combined energy is weak to moderate (between 255 and 1052), and the surf is just poor. Not worth a paddle.

Monday the 10th of August, the wind turns a little better – cross-off from the ENE – and the surf cleans up. Waves are still 4 ft from the SW with a period of 14-15 seconds (a proper groundswell), but it’s only marginal. The energy is moderate (524 to 658). It’s something to look at, but nothing to get excited about. Tuesday the 11th drops back into poor conditions.

Then on Wednesday the 12th of August morning, we finally get a nice moment. The wind is cross-off from the E at 15 km/h, the swell is 4 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (558). The comment says “expect good surf conditions” – clean lines. This is the best on offer in the first week. It’s still only a marginal score, but for Black Rocks, this is your window.

The 14th of August Friday brings a jump in size – 8 ft from the SSW, but the period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s more windswell, and the wind is cross-shore. The energy is strong (1761), but the quality is poor. That’s only for experienced surfers, if anyone.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the 15th of August Saturday afternoon. Swell is 6 ft from the S with a period of 18 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 4127, which is strong. But the wind is cross-shore from the ESE at 20 km/h, so it’s not pristine. It’s a step up though, and the best of the second week. The 16th of August Sunday morning hits 10 ft from the SSW – that’s expert territory, but with cross-shore winds and a lot of energy (4618), it’s messy and not recommended.

The 19th of August Wednesday is the real hidden gem. Morning has a light breeze from the E at 10 km/h, clean cross-off, with 4 ft swell from the S at 12 seconds. The afternoon goes glassy – zero wind, a calm sea, and the same swell. The combined energy is moderate (527 to 658). This is the cleanest window of the whole forecast. The swell direction (S) matches the optimum (SW) closely enough, and the conditions are perfect. It’s a rare, inconsistent spot, so if it lines up, get in the water.

After that, the 20th and 21st of August are a write-off – strong cross-onshore winds up to 45 km/h, lumpy, messy, and poor. Forget it.

So, overall: the first week is mostly a washout except for Wednesday the 12th morning. The second week has a couple of promising windows, with Saturday the 15th afternoon providing the biggest swell, but Wednesday the 19th is the true standout for clean, glassy conditions. It’s inconsistent, so don’t hold your breath, but if it comes together, it’ll be worth it.

Rusty.

Read more