Bondi Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. I’ve had a look at what’s headed for Bondi Beach over the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a real story of a few clean windows buried in a whole lot of slop. The best surf will be on this Saturday morning and then again next Friday morning, but there’s a long rough stretch in between where you’re better off staying on the sand.

The run kicks off with some hope this Saturday morning, the 12th of September. We’ve got a clean 4ft south swell rolling in with a long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell – and the wind is a light northerly, almost glassy. That combo is going to give Bondi some good, clean lines, especially on the banks that catch that south direction. The water temp is 64°, which is right about average for this time of year, nothing wild. The combined swell energy is a solid 467 (moderate), so there’s enough power to get you into the wave easily. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but with that long period, the sets will be more spaced out, making the paddle easier. Keep in mind, this spot is often crowded, so don’t expect a quiet session. This Saturday morning is the real standout of the whole outlook.

By Saturday afternoon, the wind swings east-northeast and picks up, turning it cross-shore and choppy, and the quality drops off fast. Sunday is just average with a cross-offshore wind and the swell already down to 3ft. From Monday the 14th right through until Thursday the 17th, it gets ugly. A big pulse of south swell hits mid-week, with heights up to 10ft to 13ft on Wednesday the 16th, but the wind is screaming from the south-west at 25 mph to 28 mph, making it a messy, cross-onshore mess. The combined swell energy on Wednesday afternoon is a massive 2813 (very strong), but that’s just raw power with no finesse – experts only, and even then it’s a grinder. That big swell sticks around into Thursday with similar poor winds, and the conditions stay rough through the 22nd of September. There’s a big gap of days here with nothing to recommend.

Then, after that rough patch, we get another little window on Friday morning, the 18th of September. The wind turns light north-northwest and offshore, and there’s a clean 3ft south swell with an 8-second period. The wave state is clean, combined energy is 270 (moderate), so it’s a fun, manageable size that most surfers will enjoy. This is the other true standout – not the biggest, but clean and fun, a good way to wash off the bad taste from the week. Saturday morning the 19th offers a bit of 3ft east-southeast groundswell with an 11-second period and light offshore wind again, giving some nice lined-up waves, but it’s smaller.

After that, it’s tiny and ordinary for the rest of the run. From Sunday the 20th right through to the 27th of September, the swell drops way down – mostly under 2ft with weak energy (values below 100), and the wind is all over the place. There’s a brief moment on Thursday the 24th with glassy conditions and a 2ft south swell, but it’s really small. So bottom line: you’ve got this Saturday morning (12th September) and next Friday morning (18th September) as your best shots. The rest of the time, Bondi will be there, but the surf won’t be worth the paddle.

Rusty.

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