Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in, 'cause there's a bit to unpack here. We're looking at Cape Paterson, and honestly, it's a tough stretch for the next couple of weeks. This is a sheltered spot, and it needs everything to line up just right to work its magic. The immediate outlook is pretty grim, so we're going to be patient.

The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 27th of August has a bit of swell, but the wind is all over the place, and the conditions are just ordinary. From there, it's a long, flat, and choppy run. Friday the 28th has some size, but it's a messy cross-shore, and it's mostly blown out. We're looking at a solid 8 to 9 day stretch of poor to marginal conditions. The wind is relentless, mostly cross-on or cross-shore, and it's just making a mess of everything. The swell energy is there, but it's not translating into anything rideable with the wind we've got.

The first real spark of hope pops up on Monday the 31st of August. The morning is still a bit average, but the afternoon gets interesting. The wind drops to almost nothing, just a light cross-on breeze, and there's a solid 5ft groundswell from the SW wrapping in. The energy is moderate to strong (1846), with a long 14-second period. It's not perfect, but it's the first window of cleaner, more manageable surf. The water is about average for this time of year.

Now, hold onto your board, because the real standout, and the only one I'd get excited about, is a long way off. On the 11th of September, a Friday morning, we get a brief window of absolute magic. The wind is light and cross-off from the north, turning the ocean clean. The swell is a solid 10ft from the WSW, with a very long, powerful 17-second period. The combined energy is huge (9925). This is proper groundswell, and for a point and reef setup like Cape Paterson, that's the dream. The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and that's spot on. This is the one to circle on the calendar, but remember, it's nearly two weeks out, so fingers crossed it holds.

Before that, there's a big, messy episode from the 4th to the 9th of September. The swell is huge, over 13ft, but the wind is howling and the conditions are junk. It's going to be a full-on, washed-out mess. This is a beach and reef setup, so with that much swell and strong wind, it might actually be more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers.

So, to sum it up: the next week and a half is a dud. The only true highlight is that Friday the 11th of September morning. If you're an experienced surfer and you can wait, that's the date. Otherwise, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more