Blackies Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Blackies.

To be straight with you, we've got a long, lean stretch ahead. For the next week and a half, it’s small and messy. The swell just won’t get its act together, and the wind keeps pushing in from the wrong directions, so we're looking at a lot of poor surf conditions and marginal days. The combined energy readings are weak, with values below 400 for the first ten days, and mostly below 300, so there’s just not much oomph in the water.

Now, the water temp is sitting at a balmy 72°F with an anomaly of 5°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s a nice surprise if you’re just having a paddle, but it won’t help the surf.

We’ve got a real dry spell until we finally see a pulse of energy on Saturday the 29th of August. That’s the only standout in this whole outlook. On Saturday morning, we see a jump in the swell, with a combined energy reading of 931, which is moderate wave energy, bumping up to 942 in the afternoon. The swell is 4ft from the SSW, with a period of 18 seconds. That’s a nice, long-period groundswell, which will bring some better shape and power, but this is a beach and point setup. With the period that long, it might break a bit straight at the beach, so the point section could be the place to be. The wind is light and onshore in the afternoon, so it’ll be a bit bumpy but manageable.

The next day, Sunday the 30th, holds similar size and shape, with 4ft swell from the SSW and a period of 16 seconds, and combined energy still up around 882 in the morning and 693 in the afternoon. Again, light winds but cross-onshore, so it won’t be glassy but it’s the best we’ve had in two weeks.

But listen, this isn’t a beginner wave. At over 4ft and with that long period, it’s got some punch. The crowds at Blackies are noted as "often", so you’ll likely have company, but it’s the only game in town.

Before that, from the 17th of August right through to the 26th, it’s a grind. Tiny waves, cross-onshore breezes, and blank days. There is a small window on Wednesday the 26th morning where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is a tiny 2ft with 16-second period from the SW, and combined energy is only 280. You might get a few little runners on a longboard, but it’s marginal.

So the best call is the weekend of the 29th and 30th. It's not epic, but it’s the only real swell on the board. Don’t book a trip around it, but if you’re local and desperate, that’s your window.

Rusty.

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