Blue Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, gang, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Blue Bowls has in store for us.

We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story.

The window kicks off right away. Saturday the 29th of August sees a big, powerful groundswell starting to roll in, but it’s a bit of a mess. A 5ft SSW swell with a very long 19-second period is hitting the reef, but the cross-on south wind is putting a chop on it. It’s not the clean bowling you want. The water is sitting at a warm 86°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Sunday the 30th builds a touch more, pushing up to 8ft by the afternoon, but that south wind stiffens to 9 mph and stays cross-on. The lineup is going to be a lumpy beast, not exactly user-friendly.

Monday the 31st settles down a fraction to around 7ft, but it’s still a cross-on affair. We’re sweating on the wind to swing.

Then, things get interesting. Tuesday the 1st of September is the standout of the first week. We get a morning of glass. The swell drops slightly to a clean 6ft, still from the SSW, with a 15-second period. That’s proper, powerful groundswell, and with zero wind, the reef at Blue Bowls will be an A-frame dream. This is a morning for the experienced surfer to really get after it. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes” so expect a few heads out, but it’ll be worth the paddle.

From Wednesday the 2nd through to Friday the 4th of September, the swell stays in the 5ft to 7ft range, but the wind turns onshore or cross-on again, keeping quality just average. Ho-hum.

Now, for the second week, a couple of bright spots. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th of September look promising. On the 8th, we drop to 4ft from the SE, but the wind goes glassy. The swell period is only 10 seconds so it’s weaker, but with glassy conditions, those little runners will be fun and clean.

The 9th of September sees a new, longer-period pulse arrive. It’s only 3ft, but with a 16-second period from the SSW. The wind is a cross-on breeze though, so it won't be perfect but the energy is there. For a long-range call, Thursday the 10th has some potential with a 4ft SSW groundswell at 16 seconds, but a 9 mph onshore wind and risk of thunderstorms makes it a gamble.

If I had to pick the absolute winner, it’s Tuesday the 1st of September. That glassy, long-period SSW groundswell at a head-high 6ft is the full package for a reef break like this. For the second week, the glassy session on Tuesday the 8th is a nice little consolation prize for the longboard or funboard.

For the rest of the run, it’s mostly cross-on wind and medium energy. You’ll get wet, but you’ll be working for your waves. Keep an eye on the charts, because a good wind swing is the difference between a mediocre session and a cracker at this spot.

Rusty.

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