Blue Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Blue Bowls. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, so don’t rush out the door just yet. The first few days are a write-off with messy, cross-shore winds and weak, short-period swell. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are only offering small, choppy 5ft to 3ft SSE/SE swell with a short 10-second period, and the wind is all wrong. Not worth a paddle. Sunday the 16th morning shows a glimmer with glassy conditions and 4ft SE swell, but the energy is weak (371) and it’s just not enough to get excited about. The real action starts to build from Monday the 17th.

Now, the standout window is from Wednesday the 19th of August through to the end of the forecast. The big pulse arrives on Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th, with a solid 5ft to 7ft SSW groundswell, but it’s let down by cross-onshore winds keeping things choppy. The energy is massive (over 2300 to 3000), but the quality isn’t there yet. Wednesday the 19th morning is when it all comes together. We’ve got a clean 6ft S swell with a long 16-second period, and the wind swings to a light offshore from the NNW, giving us clean, lined-up waves. The combined energy is strong at 2075, and this is the best session of the week for experienced surfers – the 6ft faces might be a bit much for beginners, but the long period means the waves will be powerful and well-shaped. That afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze. Thursday the 20th is still very good, with 5ft SSW swell and clean conditions, though the energy drops a bit (971). Friday the 21st is smaller but still clean.

The second week is a bit of a mixed bag. From the 22nd to the 24th, we get small, onshore junk with weak swell. Then it picks up again from the 25th of August. Tuesday the 25th afternoon has a promising 5ft SSW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s marginal. The real hidden gem is Wednesday the 26th morning – glassy conditions, 5ft SSW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is solid (1278). This is a fantastic, clean session for intermediates. The 27th morning also looks glassy with a very long-period 3ft SSW swell (20 seconds) – that’s a super long groundswell, perfect for the reef setup here, but the small size means it might be a bit slow for the average surfer. The 28th and 29th of August are absolute crackers: Friday the 28th afternoon goes glassy with 5ft SSW swell, and Saturday the 29th is dead calm, glassy, with 5ft SSW swell. The energy is strong (1524 to 1282), and these are the best of the second week – clean, punchy, and good for a crowd-free session.

The water temperature is sitting at 85°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The break is a consistent reef that likes swell from the SE, and the best waves in this outlook come from the SSW to S direction, which is close enough to the optimum to work well. Crowds are possible at Blue Bowls, especially on those clean, glassy days, so get there early if you can.

So, the pick of the bunch is Wednesday the 19th of August morning for the big, clean groundswell, and Saturday the 29th of August morning for the glassy, consistent final day. The rest is either a slow start or a bit of a wait.

Rusty.

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