Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watchin’ this spot like a hawk. Righto, let’s get into it.

Look, Cape Schanck is a reef break that’s advanced only, and it’s pretty consistent. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sittin’ at 57° with a plus 2° anomaly – nothin’ crazy, but it’s a nice little bonus.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the first decent window pops up on Thursday the 27th of August. Thursday morning’s got some clouds, a light cross-off breeze from the NW at 9 mph, and a clean 4ft swell from the SW with a nice long period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 440. That afternoon is even better – wind drops to 6 mph from the N, still cross-off, and the swell picks up to a 13-second period. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and it’s all for the advanced crew. Honestly, this is a standout. Nice and tidy.

Friday the 28th gets messy. Morning sees a cross-shore WNW wind at 12 mph, a 5ft SW swell, but it’s a cross-chop with a score that’s not worth paddlin’ into. Friday afternoon cranks up to 7ft SW swell, but the wind switches onshore from the SW at 9 mph – it’s just not clean.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are a write-off. Cross-onshore winds, choppy, 6ft to 6ft SW swell, but it’s all poor. That’s a couple of days you’d rather be workin’ on the wax collection.

Now, Monday the 31st of August – this is your call. Clear skies, light cross-off breeze from the NNW at 6 mph, and a solid 7ft SW swell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1852. That’s a big, clean groundswell for experienced surfers only – over 8ft by the afternoon at 7ft, so it’s expert territory. The wind’s a dream, and the reef will hold it all together. Absolute standout.

Tuesday the 1st of September is a mess. The wind cranks up to 31 mph from the N, cross-off, but it’s a near gale. The swell’s there at 6ft SW, but you’ll be fightin’ the wind more than the wave. Forget it.

Wednesday the 2nd drops off completely – 2ft slop and strong winds. Then Thursday the 3rd has a morning window with a 8ft SW swell and a fresh cross-off breeze from the NW at 22 mph, but it’s marginal. The wind’s strong, so it’s not clean.

From Friday the 4th through to Tuesday the 8th of September, it’s all poor. Big swells, but the wind is howlin’ from the SW and WNW, onshore and cross-shore. The combined energy hits 5811 on the 5th, but it’s a blown-out mess. There’s a lot of heavy wind and rain here – honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Then, way out in the 16-day window, we get a couple of promising long-range signals. Wednesday the 9th of September has a massive 16ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-off from the ESE at 12 mph, and it’s clean. The combined energy is a massive 10133 – that’s strong to very strong. It’s marginal, but for expert chargers, that’s a serious look, though it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it.

Thursday the 10th of September – this is the other standout. Clear skies, offshore wind from the NE at 9 mph, and a 8ft SW swell with an 11-second period. That’s gentle offshore and clean, with combined energy of 1436. Excellent for experienced surfers. Friday the 11th is a bit smaller at 5ft SW, but still clean with a cross-off breeze.

So, in a nutshell: your best bets are Thursday the 27th and Monday the 31st of August for the first week, and then Thursday the 10th of September for the second week. Everything else is blown out or too small. Keep your wetsuit zipped and your eyes peeled.

Rusty.

Read more