Cape Paterson Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and here’s the goods in feet and degrees.

First up, this spot, Cape Paterson. It’s a sheltered beach and reef setup, and it’s an advanced wave. The water temp is sitting at about 14°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing crazy.

We’re looking at a bit of a slow start. The first real sniff of something rideable comes on Friday the 7th, but it’s not great. The morning has a 5ft swell from the WSW with a 15-second period, but the wind is cross-on and it’s choppy. The combined energy is at 1253 (moderate), but it’s just poor. The afternoon is a little cleaner with a light breeze, but still a marginal call.

Saturday the 8th is a step up. The morning has a 5ft WSW swell, 16-second period, with a clean cross-off wind. The afternoon is similar, 5ft from the SW with a 16-second period and clean. The combined energy drops to 993 (moderate) and 1155 (moderate) for the morning. These are the best on offer for the first week – clean, lined up, but not massive.

Sunday the 9th is a write-off with a fresh offshore wind and weak, small swell. The energy drops to 588 (weak) and 570 (weak). Really not worth paddling out.

Then everything goes a bit wild. From Monday the 10th through to Friday the 14th, we get a big pulse of swell, but it’s all blown out. The wind is strong, mostly cross-on or onshore, and the surf is messy. The combined energy peaks at 7493 (strong) on Monday afternoon with a 20ft swell, but it’s a washing machine. This is more for the kite surfers than paddle surfers. The period on that big one is only 11 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a clean groundswell.

Saturday the 15th is a bit of a tease. We get an 8ft swell from the SW with a long 17-second period, but the wind is light cross and cross-on, making it a bit lumpy. The energy is 4293 (strong) in the morning, but it’s only a marginal forecast.

Now, the standout window. Sunday the 16th morning is looking excellent. The swell is 6ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is 1220 (moderate). This is clean, lined up, and the best session of the forecast. The afternoon is a bit onshore.

Monday the 17th morning is also glassy, with a 4ft WSW swell, 14-second period. Good conditions, but smaller.

Tuesday the 18th morning is another highlight. A 4ft swell from the SW with a very long 18-second period, and a clean cross-off wind. The energy is 1468 (moderate). This is a proper groundswell and will be a gem at a reef or point, but at a beach break it might run a bit straight.

The rest of the second week sees a few clean mornings with small to moderate swell, but nothing that really stands out like Sunday the 16th or Tuesday the 18th.

Then on Saturday the 22nd, we get a big 13ft swell from the WSW with a short 10-second period, and a clean cross-off wind. The energy is 3060 (strong). This is excellent for experienced surfers, but the short period means it’s going to be a bit crumbly and messy. Definitely not for the faint of heart.

So, the best of the lot: Sunday the 16th morning for the glassy, clean conditions on a solid 6ft swell, and Tuesday the 18th morning for the long period groundswell and clean lines. Stick to those windows.

Rusty.

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