Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the goods on what’s coming up at Cape Schanck. This is a reef setup, so it’s one for the advanced crew, and it’s fairly exposed to the swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The week starts off a bit average, but we’ve got a proper standout building. Monday morning (24th August) is a bit of a write-off with a 30 km/h north wind making for messy cross-off conditions and a 5ft SW swell. The energy is moderate (874), but it’s not worth paddling out for. Monday afternoon is much the same.

Now, Tuesday morning (25th August) is where it starts to get interesting – we’ve got a 5ft SW swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is swinging offshore from the ENE at 15 km/h. That’s clean, and the wave energy is climbing to 943 – moderate but solid. The surf is looking real good.

The real standout though, no question, is Friday afternoon (28th August). The swell is 6ft from the SW, with a very long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is glassy, dead calm from the NE at just 5 km/h, and the wave energy is a powerful 2262 – strong. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The long period will make for some beautiful, well-shaped waves at this reef break, but it’ll be a bit more powerful, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. Expect some crowds though, as this spot can get busy.

Saturday morning (29th August) is a step down – 5ft SW swell, light cross-shore wind, and the energy drops to 780. Not bad, but not the gem. Sunday morning (30th August) is another glassy session with only 3ft of swell, but the period is 18 seconds – very long – and the energy is 885. It’ll be clean but small, so a fun longboard wave.

Looking into the second week, things get a bit rougher. From Monday (31st August) through to Tuesday (1st September), we’ve got 6ft to 7ft SW swell with moderate energy (1500–2022), but the wind is cross-on or onshore, so it’s marginal. Wednesday (2nd September) is a bit better with cross-off winds from the NNW, keeping the 6ft SW swell clean, but it’s still not a standout.

Thursday (3rd September) through to Friday (4th September) is a write-off – poor conditions with strong onshore winds and choppy surf. Saturday (5th September) has a 7ft SW swell later in the day, but the wind is fresh cross-shore, creating lumpy chop. The energy is strong (2299), but the quality is marginal – this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday (6th September) has a big 8ft SW swell with a 16-second period and strong energy (3140), but the wind is a strong cross-off at 40–45 km/h. It’s clean, but it’s big and powerful – only for experts. Monday (7th September) and Tuesday (8th September) are poor, with the last record showing no swell at all.

So, the best of the lot is Friday afternoon (28th August) – glassy, 6ft SW groundswell with a long period, perfect for the advanced crew. Tuesday morning (25th August) is a solid second option with offshore winds. After that, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, mark that Friday in your calendar.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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