Cape Schanck Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag coming our way over the next couple of weeks at Cape Schanck. The week starts a bit slow and messy with onshore winds, but there’s a couple of gems hiding in the second week that are worth planning for. Let’s break it down.

First up, Monday the 24th and into Tuesday the 25th are nothing to write home about. Monday morning has some clouds and a northerly cross-off breeze at 19 mph, with 5 ft swell from the southwest. The water’s sitting at 57° – about a degree warmer than usual, so it’s a touch on the mild side. The wave energy is moderate (874), but the forecast feels marginal – not the kind of day that gets your heart racing. Tuesday morning looks more promising: a light rain with a gentle offshore from the northeast at 9 mph, 6 ft SW swell, and wave energy bumping up to moderate (1020). That’s the first real sign of life, with clean, peeling lines on offer. But Tuesday afternoon? Forget it – the wind swings onshore and it turns ugly.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are mostly a write-off, with onshore winds and poor conditions. Thursday afternoon, though, the wind drops to a light breeze from the north-northeast at 6 mph, cross-off, and the swell cleans up to 4 ft from the southwest. Wave energy is low-moderate (397), but it’s glassy and tidy – a good window for a sneaky session if you’re flexible.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Friday the 28th is tiny in the morning – 0.7 ft – but by the afternoon a new pulse of long-period groundswell arrives: 7 ft from the southwest with a 17-second period, pumping moderate energy (2464). The wind is a light cross-on, so it’ll have a bit of texture, but that long period means the waves will have shape and power. This is a reef break – it’ll hold that long-period energy well. Keep an eye on it.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are more of the same – smaller, cleanish, but nothing to get excited about.

The real standout? Mark down Monday the 31st of August. This is the pick of the forecast. Morning brings a clean north-northwest cross-off breeze at 6 mph, with 8 ft of southwest groundswell riding in on a 19-second period. That’s very long-period, classic groundswell. The combined wave energy hits strong at 4035 – that’s proper juice. This is a reef setup, so that long period will wrap in beautifully, offering solid, well-shaped walls. It’s in the advanced difficulty range, so this one’s for experienced surfers only – anything over 8 ft is expert territory, and this is close. Crowds can be likely here, but with conditions this clean and a swell this size, it’ll be worth jostling for a spot. The afternoon holds up with clean offshore winds too.

Tuesday the 1st of September gets blown out by strong cross-shore winds, and the rest of the first week of September is a mixed bag of onshore slop and building swell. Friday the 4th has 8 ft but with strong cross-shore winds – more of a kite-surfing day than a paddle session.

Another standout to watch: Saturday the 5th of September. The morning is clean with a cross-off, but it’s the afternoon that shines – glassy conditions, 6 ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and moderate wave energy (1343). For a reef break, that’s a dream setup: clean, glassy, and solid. This one’s for the experienced crew again.

The final week gets wild – Sunday the 7th and Monday the 8th see massive, stormy swell (up to 18 ft and 15 ft) with gale-force winds. That’s not surfable – that’s a weather warning. Stay out of the water.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are touch and go, but Monday the 31st of August and Saturday the 5th of September are your true standouts. The reef at Cape Schanck will be firing on those days, especially with that clean, offshore wind and long-period groundswell. Get in early, expect a crowd, and paddle out with confidence.

Rusty.

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