Caves (Sandsend) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve stared at the charts for this stretch of coast and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim run. We’re looking at a long, flat and messy 16-day window where this point break just doesn’t fire. The water’s sitting at a pretty average 60°F for this time of year, nothing unusual there, but the swell’s just not showing up with any punch.

We kick off on Thursday the 27th of August with a tiny 4ft easterly windswell, period a short 6 seconds, and an onshore easterly breeze blowing 12 mph. The combined energy is weak at 91, and the call is “poor surf conditions.” Friday the 28th looks a bit better – a 3ft ENE swell, still short at 6 seconds, but a light offshore from the WNW at 6 mph cleans it up. The energy is even lower at 76 and 83, so it’s ankle to knee-high slop. Not worth the paddle.

The rest of the first week is a write-off. Tiny 1ft to 2ft swells, short periods, and winds swapping around from cross-off to cross. The energy readings are all two-digit weak numbers – 39, 22, 57. It’s a flat spell.

There’s a gap of several days with absolutely nothing rideable until we get to Wednesday the 2nd of September. That morning we see a 4ft N swell with an 8-second period, and the energy finally cracks into three digits at 163. But the wind is cross-off from the NW at 12 mph and the call is still “poor surf conditions.” Thursday the 3rd has a similar story – 3ft NNE swell, 119 energy, but onshore winds.

Then it’s back to tiny dribble. 1.0ft to 1ft swells with 13 to 25 energy readings. Honestly, from the 4th of September through to the 7th, you’d be better off waxing your board for decoration.

The only tiny glimmer in this whole outlook comes on Tuesday the 8th of September. The morning glass-off – wind from the SE at just 3 mph, glassy conditions – with a 5ft N swell at 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 266, which is moderate. It’s a 1 out of 10 in the notes, just “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” but it’s the cleanest session we get. The swell direction is N, and the optimum for Caves is N, so it’s at least lining up. But don’t expect much – it’s a short-period windswell, and for an inconsistent break like Caves, that’s a real gamble. The afternoon goes onshore and spoils it.

After that, the final days – 9th to 11th of September – drop back into the gutter with tiny 1.0ft to 2ft swells and weak energy. Nothing doing.

If you’re a kite surfer, those days with the 12-18 mph offshore winds and a bit of bump might be worth a look, but for a paddle surfer, this is a brutal 16-day blank. Caves is an inconsistent spot, and this run is unfortunately normal for the area when it’s flat. Forecasts can change, but right now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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