Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the cards for Cape Paterson over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year. Not a massive shift, just a touch on the mild side.

Right, the good news is we’ve got some waves on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character in this story, and it's not always gonna be friendly. The standout window is right at the start. Tuesday morning, August 18th, is your best bet. We've got a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the WSW with a solid 14-second period, and a light NE breeze keeping things tidy. The combined wave energy is moderate at 789, and with that offshore wind, it’s going to be well-shaped. The wind holds for the afternoon too, shifting ESE but staying light and cross-off. Tuesday is the day to get amongst it.

From Wednesday morning, the wind picks up and gets messy. Wednesday through the weekend sees building swell, but it’s blown out by strong cross and cross-onshore winds. By Friday the 21st, the swell is up around 6ft from the WSW, but a moderate cross-shore breeze is chopping it up. The energy is getting stronger (1863 on Friday morning), but the quality just isn't there. This stretch is really for the hardcore crew only, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. Saturday the 22nd sees a big 10ft swell from the WSW with a very long 16-second period, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a lumpy mess. The wave energy is very strong at 4562, but this is more of a kite surfing show than a paddle-in session.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Monday the 24th. The morning session looks promising with a clean 5ft SW groundswell (14-second period) and a gentle cross-off breeze. The energy is a solid 1034, and conditions should be good. It’s a solid option if you can get out. After that, the wind gets fluky again.

The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on your calendar, is Monday the 31st of August. The morning is forecast to be glassy, with the wind swinging light from the west at just 3 mph. That’s about as good as it gets. There’s a 5ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period, delivering a strong 1233 in wave energy. This is a groundswell, so it’ll have long, clean lines, perfect for the reef. The afternoon gets a bit dicey with an onshore wind, but that morning window is absolute gold.

Into the first few days of September, the swell holds around 5ft to 6ft, but the wind stays onshore or cross-off. Not terrible, but not the standout quality of that Monday morning.

So, to keep it simple: Tuesday the 18th is your immediate go-to for clean, fun waves. But the absolute best on offer is Monday morning the 31st of August – glassy conditions and a solid, long-period swell. Get on it.

Rusty.

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