Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for the Cape Schanck area. It’s gonna be a bit of a story this one, so settle in.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a solid week of weather that’s just not playing ball. The ocean is throwing up some serious swell, but the wind is a mess. We’re looking at a stretch of poor surf conditions from Monday afternoon right through to the following Monday. The wind is just howling – we’re seeing near gale and strong breeze conditions most days, with the wind coming straight onshore or cross-shore. It’s a write-off. The swell is there, but it’s a messy, choppy, blown-out affair. Not worth paddling out for.

The morning of the 1st of August, we finally get a bit of a break. The wind swings to a light NNE breeze, creating clean conditions. The swell is a small 3ft from the SW with a very long period of 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is still moderate at 738 (unitless). It’s clean, but it’s small. The Saturday afternoon picks up a bit to 5ft, still clean, but the wind picks up a touch. It’s a possibility, but not a standout.

Now, hold on to your board shorts. The real magic is shaping up for the 4th and 5th of August. The 4th of August sees dead-calm conditions. Glassy. The water is like a mirror. We’ve got a clean 6ft SW swell with a 13-second period and moderate energy (960 unitless) in the morning, and the same vibe in the afternoon. The water temp is 57°F, which is a touch above the long-term average for this time of year, so it’s not going to be a bone-chiller. That’s the pick of the first week.

But the absolute standout is the morning of the 5th of August. We’re looking at a 7ft SW swell, a 19-second period – that’s a very long period groundswell with serious energy (3036 unitless). The wind is light offshore from the NE. Cape Schanck is a reef break, and it’s fairly exposed to the SW. This long-period swell is going to wrap in perfectly, and with that offshore wind, it’s going to be firing. This is a paddle-out for the experienced crew, as 7ft is pushing into expert territory. The afternoon holds up just as well with a 7ft swell and clean conditions. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a week and a half away, so it’s a long-range call, but the signs are all there.

After that, the surf drops off again. The 6th and 7th of August are small and messy, and the remaining days are a total write-off with flat spells and gale-force winds. The 11th of August shows a little hint of life with a 6ft SW swell and clean cross-off winds, but the period is short at 11 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weaker. A marginal option for a session.

In short: the first week is a total loss. The 4th of August is a good, glassy session. The 5th of August is the absolute stand-out, a proper event for the experienced. Get your gear ready for that one.

Rusty.

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