Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the goods on what's coming up for our local stretch. Let's get straight into it.

Right now, the surf is a bit of a mixed bag and there's a real gap in the action. We've got a few days of slop and dodgy conditions before things start to clean up. The first real chance to get wet is shaping up for Sunday afternoon, but it's a bit of a tease. After that, there's a long stretch of poor surf from Monday morning through to the end of the following week, with only a few fleeting moments of promise.

The standout of the whole forecast is the Cape Schanck reef break. This is a classic, advanced spot, and it's consistent with a NE offshore. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is right around average for this time of year, so don't expect any surprises there.

Now, for the first real chance: Sunday, August 2nd afternoon. The wind is a clean cross-off from the N at 22 mph, and the swell is a solid 5 ft from the SW. The period is a very long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The energy is strong at 1437, so there's plenty of push. The forecast says it's clean, but the score is a bit average, so it's a bit of a gamble. This is a reef break, so that long period will work well, but it's a tentative start.

Then we hit a wall. From Monday, August 3rd right through to Thursday, August 6th, it's pretty much all poor. Strong onshore winds, rain, and messy cross-chop are the norm. The swells are there, but the wind is just ruining it. We get a small window of cleaner conditions on Friday, August 7th afternoon, and that's your next real opportunity. The wind is a light offshore from the NE at 6 mph, completely glassy, and the swell is 6 ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The energy is strong at 1752, and the wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is a solid session, but the wind can be fickle.

Another blank run hits from Saturday, August 8th through to Thursday, August 13th, with strong winds, rain, and generally poor conditions. The wind is often howling, making it a mess.

Then we get a brief, interesting window on Friday, August 14th afternoon. This is a big one. The swell is massive at 20 ft from the SW, period 11 seconds, and the energy is a huge 8315. The wind is a light cross-on from the S at just 3 mph, almost glassy. The forecast says the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is too big for this break. At 20 ft, this is a big, powerful, expert-only affair. The period is moderate, so it'll be a heavy, walled-up wave. This is a serious session for the experienced crew only.

And then, the real standout across the whole 16 days looks to be Saturday, August 15th morning. The wind is a clean cross-off from the N at 9 mph, the swell is a solid 13 ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period, and the energy is massive at 9882. The forecast score is a solid 7, and it's described as "clean." This is the best of the best. The long period groundswell will wrap around the reef beautifully, and the offshore wind will keep it glassy. The crowds at Cape Schanck are often present, so expect a few others out there for this one.

On Sunday, August 16th afternoon, we get a glassy session with a 6 ft swell, 18-second period, and 2504 energy. The wind is calm, and the conditions are "excellent for experienced surfers." A clean, long-period swell with zero wind – that's a rare treat.

The final week from Monday, August 17th sees the swell dropping and the wind picking up again, making it marginal at best.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is Saturday, August 15th morning at Cape Schanck – 13 ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period and clean offshore winds. That's the one to circle on the calendar. The Friday, August 14th afternoon session is a massive, expert-only beast, and the Sunday, August 16th afternoon glassy session is a close second. The rest of the period is a lot of waiting and watching.

Rusty.

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