Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the Cape Schanck forecast for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and you’ll need to be patient. The first week or so is pretty ordinary, with shifty winds and messy conditions more often than not. But there’s some real promise brewing for the second week, especially if you’re an experienced surfer.

The water’s sitting at 56.8°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber.

The first surf of note starts Saturday, the 29th of August, but it’s a write-off with 5.6ft SW swell, a 14-second period, and onshore SW wind at 12 mph. Weak energy (1227), and it’s just poor.

Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st aren’t much better. We’ve got 5.9ft to 6.9ft SW swell, but the wind is all over the shop – cross-on, onshore, cross. The wave energy builds from moderate (1119) to moderate (1572), but it’s choppy and marginal. Not one for the quiver.

Tuesday the 1st of September brings a cool change with cross-offshore N wind at 28 mph in the morning, but the swell drops to 5.9ft from the SW with a very long 16-second period. The energy is moderate (1611), and the wind is strong, making it clean but pretty gnarly. The afternoon sees a drop to 4.9ft and still clean, but the energy is weak (1037). Not great.

Wednesday the 2nd gets a bit of a bump with 6.9ft to 7.9ft SW swell and a 14 to 16-second period, and the energy jumps to strong (2997 to 3092). But the wind is cross-on or cross and strong, so it’s lumpy and messy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than anything for a paddle.

Thursday the 3rd is a mess – rain showers, strong winds, and a tiny 1.3ft swell that’s basically nothing. The afternoon sees a big 9.8ft SW swell, but with onshore wind at 22 mph, it’s a blown-out mess.

Friday the 4th is the first decent option. Morning sees 8.2ft SW swell, 14-second period, (2840 energy) and cross-offshore NNW wind at 12 mph. The afternoon is similar with 7.5ft SW swell, 15-second period, and N wind at 16 mph. The wind is clean, but the swell is getting big. For advanced surfers only, this is a window.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are a write-off again with gale-force winds and poor conditions. The swell is all over the place.

Monday the 7th is messy with 9.8ft SW swell, strong winds, and lumpy conditions.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 8th of September sees a massive jump – 16.4ft to 19.7ft SW swell with an 18-second period, and the energy is off the charts (16697 to 22200). The wind is cross-on and strong, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Only for the absolute nutters, and even then, it’s sketchy.

Wednesday the 9th is a standout, particularly the afternoon. We’ve got 11.5ft SW swell, 15-second period, (8090 energy) and a moderate cross-shore NW wind. The wind is manageable, and the swell is huge. This is top-tier for experienced surfers, but it’s a lot of water moving.

Thursday the 10th sees a drop to 6.9ft SW swell in the morning with a 13-second period, and clean cross-offshore NNW wind. The energy is moderate (1967). The afternoon is weird – a tiny 3.6ft SW swell but with a 24-second period, massive energy (2303). This is a long-period groundswell that will be super clean and lined up, but it’s best at a reef like Cape Schanck. The gaps between sets will be huge, making paddling easy.

Friday the 11th is another good one. Morning has 7.2ft SW swell, 19-second period, (3752 energy) and gentle cross-offshore NNW wind. Clean and powerful. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 5.6ft, still with a 19-second period, and gentle cross-shore SSE wind.

But the real highlight is Saturday the 12th of September. The morning delivers 9.8ft SW swell, 17-second period, (4579 energy) and light cross-offshore N wind. The wind is almost glassy, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is similar with 9.8ft SW swell, 16-second period, (8315 energy) and gentle cross-offshore ESE wind. This is the best on offer – clean, powerful, and consistent.

Sunday the 13th is a bit smaller at 7.9

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