Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: there’s a real mixed bag coming and the first proper window of decent surf isn’t until Sunday the 19th. We’ve got a few good days, but a whole lot of nasty wind and big, blown-out junk in between.

The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Let’s start with the good stuff. Sunday the 19th morning is the real standout. We’ve got a clean 4 ft swell from the WSW with a solid 13-second period, so there’s some proper groundswell energy in the water (combined energy of 466). The wind is a light northerly at 6 mph, making for a cross-off breeze that’ll keep the faces tidy. The break is a beach and reef setup, so that long period stuff should hold up well. Come Sunday afternoon, it goes glassy with a 3 ft swell, but it’s a bit ordinary. Still, that morning session is the one to chase.

Now, Monday the 20th turns ugly. We get a 4 ft swell with a very long 16-second period, but the wind whips up from the NW at 16 mph, cross-off but strong. It’s a shame because that swell has some real poke (combined energy of 647), but the conditions will be messy.

Tuesday the 21st is the next chance. The morning is iffy with a 5 ft swell and 12 mph NNW cross-off winds, but it’s clean. The afternoon, however, looks better – same 5 ft swell, a bit less wind at 9 mph from the NW, and the combined energy is up to 830. This is a solid option for a Tuesday afternoon paddle.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Wednesday the 22nd all the way through to Friday the 31st, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a massive swell building – up to 15 ft by the 29th – but it’s getting hammered by strong onshore and cross-onshore winds, mostly from the WSW and SW. Blown out, messy, lumpy. That’s kite-surfing territory, not much fun on a paddle board. The swell on the 23rd and 24th is massive (combined energy over 5000), but it’s just too wild and windy.

After that stormy period, Saturday the 1st of August drops right back off to a tiny 3 ft onshore slop, and Sunday the 2nd is even smaller. Not worth getting wet for.

Finally, there’s a glimmer at the end of the run. Monday the 3rd of August shows a 4 ft swell from the WSW with a very long 19-second period – that’s serious groundswell energy (combined energy of 1595). The wind is from the east at 19 mph, so it’s a strong cross-off breeze. It’s clean, but that wind is fresh, so it’s a marginal call. The afternoon is similar with a 5 ft swell. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but it’s promising.

So, bottom line: get out on Sunday the 19th morning for the cleanest, most fun waves. Tuesday the 21st afternoon is your next best bet. The rest is a whole lot of weather to sit through.

Rusty.

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