Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’re looking at a patchy run of surf at Cape Schanck over the next couple of weeks. The first few days are pretty average, with a bit of a wait for the real standout.

Tuesday the 25th kicks things off with a 5ft SW groundswell, period a solid 13 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1232, but the wind is onshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s gonna be messy. Water’s sitting at 57°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year. Not a session to get excited about.

Wednesday the 26th is a write-off: onshore winds around 16 mph, poor conditions all day. Thursday the 27th shows a glimmer – Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy from the north at 3 mph. Swell is a small 4ft from the SW, period 13 seconds, energy 449. It’s light, but it’ll be clean and tidy. Worth a paddle if you’re keen for a cruise.

Friday the 28th sees a bump in size – 7ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 17-18 seconds and strong energy (2685) by Friday afternoon. But the wind is onshore, so the surface will be chopped up. Saturday the 29th is similar: solid swell size but onshore wind kills it.

Now, here’s the true standout. Monday the 31st of August is the pick of the whole outlook. Morning and afternoon both clean with light offshore winds. Swell is a consistent 7ft from the SW, period 15-17 seconds, combined energy over 2000. This is proper groundswell, and with clean conditions, Cape Schanck’s reef will be offering up heavy, well-shaped lines. It’s a spot for advanced surfers only, and at this size, only experienced crew should be out. Expect crowds to be possible – this is a consistent spot and word will get out. The water is still that touch warmer than average, which is nice.

Tuesday the 1st of September has clean morning conditions with strong offshore wind (NNW 25 mph), but a 6ft SW swell with 16-second period and energy at 1651. The wind is strong, but it’s cross-offshore, so it could be raw and powerful for the brave. The afternoon turns lumpy onshore though.

Wednesday the 2nd through to Saturday the 5th of September offers a run of 7ft to 8ft SW groundswell, mostly clean in the mornings thanks to offshore winds, but the wind strength picks up significantly on some days (up to 25 mph). The energy readings are consistently high, between 1387 and 2570. The waves will be big and powerful, but the wind will make it challenging. For advanced surfers, Wednesday the 2nd morning and Friday the 4th morning look the cleanest of that bunch.

Sunday the 6th of September is another clean morning option with light offshore wind, 7ft SW swell, 15-second period, and energy of 2222. Good, strong surf but windy conditions by the afternoon.

After that, things go downhill. From Monday the 7th through Wednesday the 9th of September, onshore gales (gusting up to 28 mph) and messy, choppy conditions take over. The swell on Wednesday the 9th morning is a big 8ft from the SW with very long period and massive energy of 3465, but it’s onshore and dangerous. For paddle surfing, it’s a no-go, but with that kind of wind and swell, it’s looking way more interesting for the kite crew.

So to sum it up: the best session on offer is Monday the 31st of August. Thursday afternoon the 27th is a nice, small window for a clean paddle. There are a few other mornings in the first week of September that will be clean but windy. The long-range standouts (like the 6th of September) have promise but are less certain. There’s a big gap of poor conditions from the 7th onward.

Rusty.

Read more