Boulders Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag, so grab a coffee and settle in.

First up, we’re looking at Boulders. This is a reef break, so it’s got that nice shape to it, but it’s not for the faint-hearted – it’s an advanced wave. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The overall pattern is that we’re getting a lot of cross-shore wind and messy chop for the first several days, which is a real shame. The swell is there, but the conditions are just not cooperating. It’s a bit of a frustrating start.

Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th are a write-off. Strong cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and the wave energy is moderate at best (1609 on the 12th morning, dropping to 1032 on the 13th morning). You’d be wasting your time.

We start to see a glimmer of hope on Sunday the 16th. The swell drops right down to 3ft from the SW, but the wind goes cross-offshore and the water turns clean. It’s a bit marginal, but it’s a start. The period is long, 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell. That long period stuff can be a bit tricky on a reef – it’ll look good but you’ll be waiting for the sets. The energy is still moderate (942). This is a session for the patient surfer.

Monday the 17th morning is a similar story – clean, 3ft SW swell, long period. Still marginal though.

Now, Tuesday the 18th of August is your standout. The morning is a bit average, but the afternoon session is where it’s at. You’ve got a 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The water will be glassy clean. The wave energy is solidly moderate (977). The crowd profile says “sometimes” at Boulders, so you might have a few mates out, but it’s not going to be a zoo. If you can get out there Tuesday afternoon, that’s the one to circle on the calendar. Expect very good surf conditions.

After that, it gets messy again. The wind swings cross-onshore from Wednesday the 19th, and the swell gets bigger but rough. On Thursday the 20th, we get a 8ft SSE swell but it’s blown out by a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That’s kite-surfing territory, not for paddle surfing. The energy is getting strong (2852). There’s a big cleanup on the 22nd with a 10ft S swell, but again, cross-shore wind and chop. For the experts only, and even then, it’s not pretty.

The second week is a bit of a mess. We see a few clean-ish moments on the 23rd morning with a 6ft S swell and cross-offshore wind, but it’s still marginal. The swell direction isn’t ideal for the optimum SE direction for Boulders, so the shape might be off. The energy is moderate (1397). It’s worth a look if you’re desperate, but it’s not the standout.

From the 24th onwards, it’s back to cross-onshore wind and chop. The swell stays around 5ft to 8ft, but it’s never clean. The week looks like a washout.

So, to wrap it up: the best waves on offer are Tuesday afternoon, the 18th of August. That’s your window. The rest of the time, you’re fighting the wind. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Rusty.

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