Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

First up, we’ve got a long stretch of mostly ordinary surf ahead. The combined swell energy is moderate at best for a while, and the winds are just not playing nice. We’re looking at a gap of several days with no real recommendations, so don’t get your hopes up early.

Starting on Wednesday, August 19th, we’ve got a bit of swell at Cape Paterson but it’s pretty poor. A 2ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period is coming in, but the 25 km/h north wind is cross-off, and the water temp is 57°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The combined energy is weak (229). Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are more of the same – messy cross-shore winds and building swell, but it’s lumpy and choppy. Friday afternoon sees a 7ft WSW swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 2234 (moderate), but the wind is cross and it’s only marginal. Still not a goer.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd stay poor. Saturday morning has 8ft of WSW swell, but it’s cross-on and choppy. Sunday afternoon clears up with a light WNW breeze, but the 7ft swell is still cross-shore and only marginal.

Now, the first real standout looks like Friday, August 28th afternoon. The wind goes glassy, and we’ve got a solid 10ft WSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is massive (6170), so this is a powerful, clean swell. But heads up – at 10ft, this is strictly for experienced surfers. The long period means it’s a proper groundswell that will hold up well at the reef and points. This is the best on offer in the whole window.

Saturday, August 29th morning is also a strong option. The swell holds at 10ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the east. Clean, powerful, and for experts only. The combined energy is very high (2925).

After that, the surf drops back. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st have smaller, cleaner waves, but nothing special. The 31st has a 4ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, light offshore wind, and a combined energy of 1332. It’s a great day for a longboard if you can handle the long gaps between sets.

The very end of the window, into early September, looks small and clean but nothing to write home about. The 2nd of September has glassy conditions with a 3ft SW groundswell (16 seconds) and combined energy of 581. Nice for a quiet session.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The standout is the afternoon of Friday, August 28th – glassy, big, and powerful. Saturday morning the 29th is a close second. Everything else is small or messy.

Rusty.

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