Cathedral Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Cathedral Rock. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but there are some proper sessions on the horizon if you’re willing to wait for it.

We kick things off with a bit of a tease. Thursday the 27th is small, clean but small. You’re looking at ankle to knee-high lines at 3ft from the WSW with a 12-second period. It’s glassy in the morning, but honestly, it’s not enough to get excited about. The water’s sitting at 56.7°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no dramas there.

Things start to wake up on Friday the 28th. The swell builds to 5ft in the morning from the WSW, but it’s a bit jumbled with a cross-shore wind. The period jumps to 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but it might be a bit too straight for a beach break. Still, there’s some push there. By the afternoon, it’s up to 7.5ft, but the wind turns cross-on, so it’s a bit lumpy.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday the 29th, first light is the pick of the weekend. Glassy conditions, 6ft of SW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is building – we're talking 1500 units of combined energy. It’s going to be clean and have some proper shape. This is one for the experienced crew, not a learner's day. Saturday afternoon stays around 6.5ft, but the wind swings cross-on, so it gets a bit messy.

Sunday the 30th is a bit of a mixed bag. Morning has 7ft from the SW, but a cross-shore breeze messes with the surface. The afternoon sees the wind go onshore, so it’s not doing us any favors. It’s still sizeable, but the quality drops.

Monday the 31st, though... that’s a standout. The morning is glassy with 8ft of SW swell and a 14-second period. The energy is cranking at 3006 units. This is proper Cathedral Rock. The afternoon goes one better – dead calm, glassy, and the swell bumps up to 8ft with a 15-second period and even more energy at 3541 units. This is the best of the first week, no question. It's going to be a serious paddle, but the waves will be worth it.

Tuesday the 1st of September gets blown out. The wind screams in from the NNW at 19 mph, making it cross-off and clean, but it’s a lot of wind. The swell drops a touch to 7ft, but it’s just not as inviting.

Then, the real juice arrives. Wednesday the 2nd brings a solid 11.5ft of WSW swell with a 14-second period. The energy is massive, hitting 7422 units in the morning. This is big, powerful surf. The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but this is expert territory only. Anything over 8ft is for the brave, and this is well past that. Thursday the 3rd stays big, with 10ft in the afternoon and clean conditions. Friday the 4th sees the swell peak at a serious 14.5ft from the WSW. The energy readings are off the charts, over 14,000 units. This is a proper, hold-onto-your-balls swell. There’s light rain around, but the wind stays cross-off, keeping it clean. If you’re a big-wave charger, this is your window.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th is messy. Saturday sees the swell drop slightly to 11.5ft, but the wind goes cross-on and it turns choppy. Sunday the 6th is even bigger, hitting 19.5ft, but the wind is howling and it’s a washing machine. This is less about surfing and more about survival.

The start of the second week, Monday the 7th, is still solid with 14.5ft of SW swell and a long 16-second period. The wind is cross-off and clean, so for the experts, this is still on. The energy is massive, over 10,000 units. Tuesday the 8th, though, the wind swings onshore and it turns to slop. Big, but blown out.

Wednesday the 9th is a bit of a wildcard. The swell is still 18ft, but the wind is light and cross-shore from the east. It might have some shape, but it’s a gamble.

After that, it starts to fade. Thursday the 10th drops to 8ft with a short, weak 10-second period. The energy is fading fast. But then, look at Friday the 11th – a clean offshore wind from the north, and the swell is back to a friendly 5ft in the morning, building to 7ft in the afternoon with a 14-second period. The energy is building again, too. This is a nice way to end the run, a clean, fun day.

So, the standout sessions are Monday the 31st for a big, clean, powerful swell, and the window from Wednesday the 2nd through Friday the 4th for the truly heavy stuff. The second week is less certain, but there are still waves on offer. Keep

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