Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight about this next couple weeks – it’s a frustrating stretch. There’s hardly any surf at Castles, and it’s gonna be a long dry spell before we see anything worth paddling out for.

Right now and for a while, there’s no surf to chase. We’re looking at a big blank run from the start of the forecast, right through until at least the morning of Friday, August 28th. Waves barely hit 2 ft, with periods all over the shop. Don’t bother – it’s quiet. That run of poor conditions keeps going until we finally see a little pulse.

The only moment that’s worth a look is Friday morning, August 28th. That’s when we get a 2 ft swell from the SE, paired with a 10-second period. Combined energy hits 100 (moderate wave energy) – the highest number in this whole outlook. Wind is a light cross-onshore from the SSW at just 3 mph, so it’s rippled but not blown out. It’s a glimpse, not a guarantee, but it’s the best we’ve got. Castles (sandbar) is a fairly exposed beginner-friendly spot, and it can sometimes get a little crowded, but that’s not your worry today – the problem is the tiny swell. That SE direction is the optimum for the break, so the little energy there is will be lined up right.

For beginners, keep in mind the swell stays under 2 ft across the whole period, so even our best day is small and weak. Nothing here is dangerous; there’s just nothing to ride.

The water temp is sitting at 79°F, which is a huge 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like the tropics in August. That’s unusual. You won’t need anything thicker than a spring suit, if that.

After that Friday 28th morning, the waves just fade away again. Saturday and Sunday the 29th and 30th have more small and messy SE swell, around 2-2 ft, but periods drop to 7-8 seconds, and the wind gets more onshore. It’s a fizzer.

Once we hit the following week (Monday August 31st through to Saturday September 5th), there’s nothing but poor surf conditions across the board. Swell stays below 2 ft, periods are short, winds are moderate to fresh and cross-onshore. On Tuesday morning, September 1st, the wind howls from the SW at 16 mph – that’s kite surfing weather, not paddle surfing. Even with the cross-offshore wind and clean conditions on Wednesday September 2nd (2 ft, SE, 10-second period), it’s just not enough wave height to be worth your time.

To wrap it up: the pick of a very quiet window is Friday morning, August 28th at Castles, with a 2 ft SE groundswell and glassy-ish conditions. For the rest, I’m telling you – keep your board on the rack. The forecasts can change, but this stretch looks skinny and unexciting.

Rusty.

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