Castles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.

The first real sniff of surf doesn’t show up until Saturday the 22nd of August, so we’re looking at a bit of a wait. The early part of the period is a write-off with poor conditions, but after that, there’s a definite pulse of energy building.

It all kicks off Saturday afternoon with a clean 5ft swell out of the SW, but it’s a bit of a tease. The wind is a cross-shore, and the wave comment says it’s marginal. Water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much normal for the time of year. Not a stand-out session, but a start.

Sunday morning the 23rd picks up a notch. The swell holds at 5ft, still SW, and the period stretches to 17 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, carrying some real grunt. The wind swings NNE and goes cross-off, so the face is clean. The combined energy is a solid 1267. This is the first real window of clean, rideable surf.

Then things get a bit messy for a few days. Monday and Tuesday (24th and 25th) are blown out by strong onshore winds. The swell gets bigger – Tuesday morning hits 6ft with a combined energy of 1719 – but the wind is from the S and SSW, making it choppy and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 26th is a hidden gem. Morning sees a 4ft SW swell, clean with a cross-off northerly. By the afternoon, the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the ENE. The period is 12 seconds, the energy is 342, and the waves are clean and peeling. It’s small, but for a glassy afternoon session, you can’t beat it. The water is still average temp for the time of year.

Thursday the 27th morning is clean but small – 3ft with a very long 21-second period. That’s a super long groundswell, which can be tricky at a reef break, but the wind is alright. The real standout is Thursday afternoon. The swell jumps to 7ft out of the SW, period 19 seconds, and the combined energy is a huge 2831. The wind is a gentle offshore northerly, making it clean. This is proper, powerful, clean surf for experienced surfers.

The best on offer is Friday the 28th of August. Morning session: 8ft of pure WSW groundswell, with a 16-second period. The combined energy reading is 5032 – that’s serious, powerful water. The wind is a light 3 mph from the NNE, cross-off, so the waves will be clean and lined up. This is big, expert-level surf. The afternoon stays solid at 7ft, still clean. If you’ve got the skills, this is the day.

The weekend (29th and 30th) drops off in size but stays clean. Saturday morning is a 3ft cross-off, nothing special. Sunday the 30th afternoon picks up again to 6ft with a 20-second period (energy 2561) and a clean cross-off wind. It’s a solid, clean option.

The first week of September (1st to 6th) is a mixed bag. Some clean mornings, like Wednesday the 2nd with 4ft and an offshore breeze, but the afternoons get crossed up or blown out. The 4th of September has a 6ft SW swell (energy 1308) but the wind is from the SSE, making it a bit lumpy. The real standout in this second week is the morning of the 28th of August – that’s the one to circle. After that, conditions get more uncertain, with a lot of poor surf and strong winds, especially from the 5th and 6th, where the wind is up to 28 mph. That’s more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing.

Remember, long-range calls like that Friday the 28th are promising, but always keep an eye on the charts as we get closer.

Rusty.

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