Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Listen up, folks. Rusty here. Looks like Cape Schanck is the only game in town for the next couple of weeks, and it's got some ups and downs. The water's sitting around 56°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

First real swell hits Friday afternoon, the 14th. We've got a solid 8ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 15-second period. That's a lot of energy (3637 combined energy), but the wind is screaming onshore from the WSW. On a reef like Cape Schanck, that's a mess. Expect lumpy, blown-out conditions. Not the one.

Your first real window is Saturday morning, the 15th. The swell is still a solid 8ft from the SW, with a long 15-second period, but the wind swings to a light ESE breeze, giving us a clean cross-offshore flow. The ocean will be glassy. That's a proper session for the experienced crew. The combined energy is still huge at 2742 – you'll feel the power. It's a bit much for the groms.

Sunday morning, the 16th, is also a good call. The swell drops to 6ft from the SW, 14-second period. Light ENE cross-offshore wind makes for clean conditions. The energy is still solid (1342). The afternoons on both Saturday and Sunday get a bit choppy, so hit the early session.

There's a bit of a lull through the middle of the week. Monday the 17th is still rideable early with 5ft swell and clean cross-off wind. Tuesday morning, the 18th, is a beauty – 4ft of SW swell with a light NE offshore breeze. It's not huge, but the reef will be working cleanly. Expect a great, fun wave.

Then things go quiet. From Wednesday the 19th through the end of the week, the swell tanks and the wind howls from the north. The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is a total write-off with strong onshore winds.

Now, here's the one to get excited about. Monday the 24th of August is shaping up to be a monster. We're looking at a proper 12ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is a massive 11301 – that's a serious amount of water moving. The kicker is the wind: it's forecast to go glassy in the afternoon with a light WSW breeze. That's the recipe for "exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers" – absolutely perfect, big, clean waves. The period is so long it'll be a proper groundswell, meaning long lulls but absolute bombs on the sets. This is for the hardcore only; way too big for beginners.

The morning of the 24th is also clean with 12ft and a light cross-off wind, but that afternoon glass-off is the session of the window. The wave gets smaller and windier after that, so that Monday is your target.

Bottom line: Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th mornings are solid. Tuesday the 18th is a clean, fun day. But the big one, the one to plan for, is the afternoon of Monday the 24th. It's a long way out, so keep checking, but the signs are looking primo.

Rusty.

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