Boulders Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you, the outlook for the next little while is a bit of a tough one. Looking at the chart, the first decent chance we see doesn't pop up until the 28th of August, and even then it's a bit marginal. Before that, it's a write-off. From the 20th right through the 27th, we've got a solid run of poor surf conditions. The wind is just relentless, hammering in from the SE and ESE as a cross-onshore, making a mess of things. The swell is there, with some moderate energy readings (around 1200 to 1525), but it's being trashed by the wind. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so at least that's comfortable.

Now, after that long gap, we start to see something on the 28th of August. The only spot really in the conversation is Boulders (reef). It's a consistent, advanced-level reef break that's fairly exposed to the swell. The optimum swell direction here is SE.

Thursday, 28th August is when things get interesting, but it's still not great. The swell is from the SE at 7ft, with a period of 9 seconds, and a moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate (1599). It's a "marginal" call, so don't expect perfection. The afternoon improves a little, with the swell bumping up to 10ft from the SE (10 seconds), and the energy climbing to a strong 2583. Winds are still cross-shore, so it'll be lumpy and a bit of a battle.

The real standout, though, is Saturday, 29th of August. This is the one to circle. The morning should see a clean 10ft of swell from the ESE, with a period of 10 seconds. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore (ENE) at 9 mph, which is a huge positive. The combined energy is strong (1988). This is the best window in the entire 16-day forecast. The afternoon is similar, with a touch less energy (1781) but still clean. This is a proper session for experienced surfers, as 10ft is expert territory. The crowd situation at Boulders is "sometimes", so you might have a few others on it, but it's not a zoo.

After that, the conditions start to slide again. The 30th and 31st of August see the swell dropping back to 7ft and 6ft, but the wind turns cross or cross-on again, and the quality goes back to poor. Into the first week of September, the swell gets bigger, with 12ft on the 2nd and 3rd of September, but the cross-onshore wind from the SE and ESE is back, making it a messy, lumpy mess. The combined energy readings are huge (over 2500, hitting 3984), but with that wind, it's a washing machine. For a reef break, that's just not clean. It's a shame, because the swell is there, but the wind is the enemy.

So, bottom line: hold out for the 29th of August. That's your best shot. The rest is either blown out or marginal.

Rusty.

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