Bondi Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. The next 16 days are going to test your patience. The first real chance of a surf is later in the first week, and then it’s a long, flat run after that. The early call has some promise on Sunday morning, August 30, but after that, the energy just drains away. The biggest burst of swell arrives on Thursday, August 27, but the wind is a shocker. It’s a tough outlook for Bondi Beach.

The week kicks off with a solid spike of swell on the morning of Thursday, August 27 – a southerly 8ft swell at 9 seconds, with the combined energy hitting 1471 (strong to very strong wave energy). But, mate, it’s blown out. A southerly 12 mph breeze is smashing it up, cross-on and choppy. The bay will be a mess. That afternoon, the swell drops to 5ft but there’s still an ESE cross-on at 6 mph. Not worth it. Friday morning, August 28, has a 5ft SSE swell at 11 seconds, so a bit of groundswell energy in there, but the wind is cross-shore and the surf quality is only marginal. You might find a scrappy one if you’re desperate, but I’m not calling it a standout. The afternoon goes to shite with a strong SSE onshore.

Saturday, August 29, is another morning of marginal surf – 5ft S swell, light cross-shore wind, but the raw energy is still low-ish at 895 (moderate). Nothing to get excited about. Then we get to the first real highlight: the morning of Sunday, August 30. The swell is down to 3ft from the south at 9 seconds, but the wind turns WNW at 6 mph, giving you a clean, cross-offshore flow. The energy is 217 (moderate), and the waves will be small but tidy. For a beginner-friendly spot like Bondi, this is the best of the week. It’s a clean, easy morning.

After that, the surf shrinks. Monday morning, August 31, has a tiny 2ft south swell, but oh boy, the period is 17 seconds – that’s a very long, drawn-out groundswell. The wind is light offshore from the NW at 3 mph, so it’s glassy. The energy is 259 (moderate), but the swell height is so small, it’ll be barely breaking. A few ankle-biters for the patient surfer. Tuesday, September 1, is similar: clean with a NNW offshore at 9 mph, but only 3ft of swell at 12 seconds. It’s surfable but ordinary – the energy is dropping, 174 (moderate). The next several days are a slow bleed. By Wednesday, September 2, the swell is 2ft and the energy falls to 46 (weak). From Thursday, September 3, through to Saturday, September 5, it’s tiny, with energy in the teens and 30s. Poor surf. The morning of Saturday, September 5, has a 2ft south swell but it’s clean, if you’re in a wetsuit and have nothing better to do.

Sunday, September 6, brings a 18-22 mph southerly wind and rain – absolute junk. Then from Monday, September 7 to Tuesday, September 8, there’s a tiny pulse of 1-2ft swell but it’s cross-on and choppy all the way. Not worth paddling out. Wednesday, September 9, is a surprise: a 4ft swell shows up from the south at 9 seconds, with a light NNE cross-off breeze in the morning. Energy at 235 (moderate). It’s the best looking day of the second week, with expect good surf conditions – you might get a few fun ones if the tide lines up. The afternoon gets a stronger NE wind, which makes it marginal. After that, it’s back to the tiny stuff. Thursday, September 10, has 3ft clean surf, and Friday, September 11, is glassy but flat with a 1ft swell.

The standout window is the morning of Sunday, August 30 – it’s your cleanest, most user-friendly session with a light offshore and small but tidy 3ft S swell at Bondi Beach. After that, Wednesday, September 9 is the second-best option, with more size but a bit more wind. The long gaps of flatness dominate the second week.

Look, for the first few days, the wind is a killer, and then the swell just dies. Hang in there, it tends not to stay this flat for long.

Rusty.

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