Cave Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what Cave Rock’s got lined up for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. The wind is just a mess for the most part – cross-onshore, fresh, and lumpy, turning the waves into a jumbled-up heap. There’s a bit of swell around on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it’s all short-period, weak energy (around 418 and 276), and with that nasty wind, it’s not worth paddling out for. You’d be fighting a losing battle.

We do see a tiny glimmer of hope on Wednesday afternoon the 19th. The swell drops right off to a mere 2ft from the SSW, but the period jumps to 15 seconds. The wind goes cross-offshore and the conditions are clean. It’s a marginal situation at best, with the combined energy sitting at 233, but if you’re desperate for a glide and the tide lines up, you could find a clean little wave. Still, not something to get excited about.

Thursday the 20th through Saturday the 22nd are back to the same old story – building swell but with fresh to strong cross-onshore winds that just tear it to pieces. Saturday afternoon sees the swell jump to 8ft, but it’s a short, dumpy 7-second period with 607 combined energy, all blown out. You can leave your board in the car for that.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 23rd is the one you want to circle. The morning shows a solid 8ft S swell with a long 13-second period, and the combined energy is a meaty 2042. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, keeping it fairly clean for an advanced crew. But it’s the afternoon that’s the real standout. The swell builds to 8ft from the S with a very long 15-second period, and the combined energy hits a whopping 3000. That is proper groundswell energy. The wind is only a light breeze, making for clean, powerful lines. This is a serious wave – over 8ft, so it’s experts only at Cave Rock. That long period groundswell will be looking for the reefs and points, so expect some proper, hefty sets. This is the best of the whole outlook, no question.

Monday the 24th is a step down but still has some life. A 5ft S swell with 12 seconds gives a combined energy of 935. The cross-shore wind is light, making for a gentle chop. It’s a marginal call, but a much more manageable size for the intermediate surfer after the Sunday beast.

Then it gets messy again. The rest of that week and into the next is mostly small, weak swells or blown-out junk with strong winds. There’s a brief moment on Sunday the 30th of August where the wind goes glassy and the waves are a tiny 4ft, but the period is only 8 seconds and the energy is weak at 191. It’s surfable but very ordinary. The first week of September looks completely flat and crossed out by strong NE winds. The long-range standouts on Sunday the 23rd are promising but, as always with a forecast that far out, keep an eye on the wind shifts.

So, to sum it up: the wait is on for Sunday the 23rd of August. That afternoon session is the clear winner. Big, powerful, clean S swell. If you’re not an expert, the Monday morning the 24th is your best bet for something with a bit of size and decent conditions.

Rusty.

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