Broadway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this outlook for Broadway is a bit of a tough one. We’ve got a full 16-day window, but for the vast majority of it, the surf is just flat or weak and messy. You’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, poor-quality waves that won’t get your heart racing. The only glimmer comes right at the very end, and even then, it’s a gamble.

Let’s run through it. Starting on the 8th of August, we’ve got nothing. Honestly, it’s a dry spell that runs all the way from that Saturday right through to the morning of Wednesday the 19th. Day after day of 0.7ft to 2ft slop, with short-period junk from the south or southeast, and a combined energy reading that barely cracks 50 (44 is the highest in that stretch). The wind is all over the place – cross-shore, cross-on, choppy – it’s just not surfable. There’s a glassy morning on the 10th, but with a 1ft swell and a period of 5 seconds, it’s more of a pond ripple than a wave. Waste of time.

Now, on Wednesday the 19th, we finally see a pulse. The morning goes glassy with a 4ft S swell, but the period is a short, weak 4 seconds and the energy is only 70 – still not enough to do anything with. By the afternoon, the swell lifts to 5ft from the south, with a 5-second period and combined energy jumping to 183 (moderate energy). That’s the biggest swell of the whole period, but the wind turns cross-on, and the wave comment says it’s still poor. For a beach/jetty break like Broadway, a 5ft south swell with a short period and onshore wind is just a crumbly, lumpy mess. It’s not for beginners – 5ft can be a bit much for the groms, but it’s not big enough for the experts to get excited about either. Honestly, with that wind and short period, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The best chance for a wave comes on Thursday the 20th. In the morning, we get a 3ft SSE swell with a 7-second period, combined energy of 105 (weak-to-moderate), and a clean cross-off breeze from the NNW. The wave comment finally calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – a 1 out of 10, but it’s our only real option. A 3ft clean wave at Broadway with a bit of period is rideable, but it’s not a standout. The swell direction is SSE, which is close to the optimum SE direction, so it’s not a total write-off. Crowds are “often” here, so expect company if you’re out. For the rest of that week into the 23rd, it’s back to tiny, weak, and messy – 1ft to 2ft with cross-off or offshore winds, but the energy is gone.

So, to sum it up: the only day that’s even worth checking your board for is Thursday the 20th of August, for a clean, small morning session. Don’t expect any barrels or anything memorable. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off. This is a blank run, and for Broadway, that’s a bit more normal for this time of year. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s pretty grim.

Rusty.

Read more