Brighton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve looked over the surf for Brighton over the next 16 days. I’ll be honest with you, mate – it’s a pretty grim stretch for paddle surfing. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any proper surf on offer. The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Sunday the 16th, and even then it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Let’s break it down. The data starts with Friday the 7th of August, and through to the middle of the month, the wave energy is basically non-existent. We’re talking about combined energy values of just 9 (weak) and flat spells of glassy conditions with no height at all. You’ll get a few tiny pulses, like Tuesday morning the 11th with a 2ft swell from the east, but with a period of only 3 seconds, that’s just wind chop. It’s not worth a trip.

The first real bump in energy comes Saturday the 15th, with a 4ft swell from the west-southwest in the afternoon. The wind is a cross-onshore breeze, so it’ll be choppy. The combined energy is only 52, so it’s weak. Not a standout.

The best of a bad lot arrives on Sunday the 16th of August. The morning session is your best bet. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the west-southwest with glassy conditions – no wind at all. The combined energy is 56 (still weak), but it’s clean. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there. The afternoon picks up to 5ft from the same direction, but the wind swings onshore and gets choppy. The energy jumps to 160 (moderate), but the quality is poor.

Then we get a bit of a run. Monday the 17th has a 3ft cross-shore chop, and Tuesday the 18th morning has a clean 3ft from the southwest on a light offshore. The energy is still low. The swell tries to build again on Wednesday the 19th, with a 3ft from the west and a period of 6 seconds, but it’s cross-shore and messy.

Now, Friday the 21st of August is the only real standout, but it’s for experts only. The afternoon brings a 10ft southwest swell with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 978 (strong to very strong). That’s a lot of water moving. However, the wind is a fresh cross-onshore (22 mph), so it’s going to be lumpy and ugly. At that size, with that wind, this is not a beginner’s wave. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a long way out, so take the call with a grain of salt.

The rest of the window is the same story: small, weak, and onshore. Brighton is an inconsistent spot, and this 16-day window shows exactly why. It’s a blank run that’s pretty normal for the area. Hang tight, mate.

- Rusty

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