Budeo Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna lie to you – the next couple of weeks at Budeo are shaping up as a real test of patience. There’s a big gap of flat and poor conditions right from the get-go, and we’re not looking at anything worth paddling out for until the end of the month. The setup is a reef, exposed to the SW, and we’re chasing that optimum SW swell direction. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s noticeably warm for August.

Right now and through most of the coming days, it’s a blank run. From Tuesday the 18th all the way through to Thursday the 27th of August, the surf is either poor or marginal at best. Winds are mostly cross to cross-on, keeping things choppy and uninviting. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting well under 1000 (mostly between 113 and 584) for that entire stretch, so there’s barely any push. You’d be fighting for scraps on a 1ft to 4ft swell with short periods. Don’t bother.

Finally, we get a bit of hope on Friday the 28th of August. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the WSW with a super long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy jumps to 686 – moderate. Winds are light cross-on from the WNW, so it’ll be a little bumpy but not terrible. This long-period swell is best for the reef setup at Budeo, giving those waves some shape and power. The afternoon holds up with a 3ft swell, 16-second period, and light offshore WNW wind, which will clean things right up. This is the standout window: Friday morning and afternoon, 28th August. It’s still marginal on paper with a score of 2, but that period and clean wind make it the best on offer. The water will still feel warm, so peel on a spring suit.

Then Saturday the 29th brings the biggest swell of the forecast: a 7ft WSW swell with a 14-second period. That’s over 5ft, so it’s a bit much for beginners, but for intermediate and above, the combined energy is a solid 1835 – strong. Winds are offshore from the W at just 3 mph in the morning. That setup could produce some nice, clean reef waves, but keep in mind, with 7ft on a reef, it gets serious. The cross-on wind in the afternoon will chop it up.

Sunday the 30th drops back to 6ft, still with a 13-second period and gentle cross winds. Not as clean, but there’s still energy (1020 combined), so a worthy follow-up session for those who can handle the crowd that might show.

After that, the surf fades fast into the first days of September, dropping back under 3ft with poor conditions and weak energy. The final window on Wednesday the 2nd of September has a tiny 3ft to 3ft swell with an impressive 19-second period, but it’s cross-on choppy with moderate wind – combined energy is moderate at 737, but the quality just isn’t there. Skip it.

So, bottom line: don’t bother before Friday the 28th of August. The real standout is Friday the 28th with that long-period, clean-offshore window. Saturday the 29th morning is the biggest and best for experts looking for power. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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