Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right from the get-go, it’s a bit of a messy picture out here. The swell is showing up, but the wind gods are having a laugh for the first day. We’ve got a solid 6.9ft SW groundswell at 15 seconds rocking into Cape Schanck on Saturday the 22nd, but that 22 mph west wind is just tearing it to pieces. That’s 1900 in combined energy, so there’s power, but the surface is going to be lumpy and cross-onshore. This is one for the kite crew, not the paddle crew.

You’re waiting until Sunday the 23rd for things to clean up. The swell drops a touch to 7.2ft, but that wind swings around to the northwest, a cross-off at 9 mph, and suddenly the place looks a whole lot better. It’s still a bit rough around the edges, but the morning is clean. The real standout comes in the arvo: the wind drops to a light 6 mph north, the swell settles to 6.2ft at 13 seconds, and the conditions turn excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the kind of session you’d paddle out for. The combined energy is 1895, so it still has some push behind it.

Monday the 24th is a step back. That north wind picks up to 22 mph, which, even if it’s cross-off, is going to make things tricky. The swell is down to 4.9ft, and the score is pretty low. Tuesday the 25th is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning is looking marginal, but the afternoon brings a light ESE breeze, and that 5.2ft SW swell at 13 seconds cleans up nicely. The energy is 1246, and the call is for very good surf. It’s a smaller day, but a good one if you’re just wanting a longboard or a groveler.

Wednesday the 26th is a right-off. The swell drops to 4.6ft, but the south wind is cross-on and it’s just going to be choppy. Not worth the paddle. Thursday the 27th is a bit better. The swell is down to 3.3-3.9ft, but that wind is offshore and light. Very small, but clean. Not a headline day.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Friday the 28th is confused, with a tiny 1ft swell in the morning before a bigger 6.2ft one shows up in the arvo with a cross-on wind and rain. Poor conditions. Saturday the 29th is back and forth. The morning is looking good with a light ESE cross-off and a 4.6ft SW swell, clean and fun. The arvo brings a cross-shore wind that messes it up a little.

Sunday the 30th is a strange one. The morning has a 4.3ft swell with a long 19-second period, but it’s cross-on and choppy. The arvo, though, is a beast. 9.8ft of SW swell at 18 seconds, combined energy of 5703. It’s big, it’s powerful, but the wind is a cross-on 12 mph, and it’s just going to be a mess. One for the spectators, not the paddlers. This is also where the water temp comes in. It’s sitting around 59° right now, but the anomaly says it’s running about average for this time of year. So, not a shock to the system, just your standard winter chill.

Now, here’s your standout. Monday the 31st. The swell is a solid 7.2ft at 16 seconds, it’s a proper groundswell, and the wind, well, the wind is glass. That’s right, zero mph. The morning is glassy, clean, and the energy is 2475. That’s the pick of the whole run. An excellent call for experienced surfers. The reef at Cape Schanck will be handling this beautifully. Your long-period swells like this, over 15 seconds, they like a reef or a point, and this spot is exactly that. It’s going to have some serious lines.

The arvo that day drops to 6.6ft, but the wind comes up a touch, and it loses a bit of the magic.

The first of September brings a fresh onshore and lumpy conditions with 8.2ft and 7.5ft of swell. Not on. Wednesday and Thursday are back to small and average. The first real interesting bit in the second week comes on Thursday the 3rd of September, with a clean 6.9ft on the arvo and a N cross-off at 16 mph. It’s promising, but less certain.

The other standout is shaping up for the 5th of September. That Saturday morning, 5.9ft SW at 13 seconds, with a gentle N cross-off. Clean and with 1144 units of energy. Then the arvo is even better, 5.2ft and a light offshore NNE at 6 mph. Very clean and consistent. It might not be as big as the 31st, but it could be a fun, user-friendly day.

So, the two true highlights are the glassy morning on the 31st of August, and that clean Saturday on the 5th of September. Don’t stress about the small stuff in between; there are a few days with next to nothing on offer, but that’s just how

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