Blacks Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s a slow start. The good news is we’ve got a consistent, long-period swell trying to push through, but conditions are going to make you work for it. We’re looking at Blacks Beach primarily, and the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real window we can talk about opens up on Tuesday, August 25th. We’ve got a clean, light offshore wind from the West, but the swell is small, around 2ft from the SW with a very long 16-second period. It’s a groundswell with moderate energy (280), but the forecast is calling it marginal, likely due to tide. It’s not a complete washout, but you’ll need to pick your moment.

Wednesday the 26th is a write-off. The wind swings to the SSW, going cross-on, and the ocean gets a bit of a chop on it. Not worth paddling out for.

Thursday the 27th stays frustrating. Light cross-onshore wind and small, weak swell. The energy drops off (163 in the arvo). It’s a grovel session at best.

Now, look here. Friday the 28th of August, the afternoon starts to show some promise. The wind goes light offshore from the WNW, and the swell bumps up to 3ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds. The combined energy spikes to a solid moderate 629. Still, the report says it’s marginal, so don’t expect perfection. It’s a hint of something better.

The real standout of this whole outlook is Saturday, August 29th. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are looking like the pick of the bunch. You’ve got clean, light offshore wind (WSW in the morning, W in the arvo), and the swell builds. Morning sees 3ft at 16 seconds with 690 energy, and by the afternoon it’s 4ft at 16 seconds with a strong 888 energy. That’s the most juice we see in the whole run. It’s still rated marginal, but with that wind and that long-period groundswell, Blacks Beach is your best bet. Just remember, a 16-second period groundswell at a beach break can be a bit straight and fat, but the offshore wind should help put some shape on it. It’s an advanced spot, and with a consistent rating, it’ll be worth the look. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

After that, Sunday the 30th holds similar size (3ft to 4ft) but the wind gets a bit tricky, going cross-onshore in the morning. The energy is still strong (718 in the arvo), but it won’t be as clean as Saturday.

From Monday, August 31st, things start to dwindle. The swell drops, and the wind stays onshore or cross-on. We go through a patch of small waves with poor conditions right through the first week of September.

There’s a glimmer of hope on Thursday, September 3rd in the afternoon, with a 3ft SSW swell at 18 seconds and 636 energy, but it’s cross-on and marginal.

Then, Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th see a bit of a rebound. The swell pushes back up to 4ft to 4ft from the SSW, with strong energy (951 on Friday arvo). The wind is offshore. But again, it’s rated as poor or marginal. The energy is there, but the quality isn’t being guaranteed. For an experienced surfer, those morning sessions on the 4th and 5th could be a fun paddle with chest-high sets, but don’t expect a glassy perfection.

After that, it’s a slow fade. From September 6th onward, the swell drops back under 3ft, and the energy weakens. The last real pulse of energy is on September 3rd and 4th.

To wrap it up: your best bet is Saturday, August 29th. That’s the one day where the wind, swell size, and energy all line up the best. The following weekend (Sept 4th-5th) is a secondary option for the more determined surfer, but it’s less certain. There’s a long gap of small or poor surf in between, so make the most of that Saturday.

Stay wet.
- Rusty

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