Church Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and uninspiring for most of us. The swell window is open, but the energy just isn’t there. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, so don’t get your hopes up for any hero waves. The first few days are a write-off, with nothing rideable until we get into the tail end of the month.

The run from the 19th through the 27th is mostly poor. Waves are tiny, in the 2ft to 3ft range, and the period is short, mostly 13 to 16 seconds, which means it’s not doing much. We’re seeing that combined swell energy struggling, mostly in the 200s and 300s – weak energy, to be honest. There’s a bit of a pulse on the 20th morning with 319, but it’s still just marginal, and the tide’s making things questionable. The wind is light, sometimes cross-onshore, which might keep it clean-ish, but there’s just no power in the water. You’d be better off doing something else.

The 28th and 29th finally see a bit of a bump. The swell starts to lift, with heights around 3ft to 4ft, and we’re getting a longer period, up to 19 seconds on the 28th morning. That’s a proper groundswell, but the energy is still only moderate, with the combined reading jumping to 585, then 727 on the 29th morning. This is the best we’ve got on offer, and it’s not huge, but it’s something. The wind is still cross-onshore, but light, so it might have a bit of shape. Conditions are still only marginal though – don’t expect perfection.

Looking further out, the 30th and 31st have some clean-ish mornings with light onshore wind and 4ft to 4ft swells, but the energy is dropping off again, back into the 500s and 300s. A couple of those early September days, the 1st and 3rd, look like they could have a brief window with a 3ft swell and 14 second period, but again, marginal.

So, the standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of the 29th of August. It’s the biggest of the run, with 4ft at 17 seconds from the SSW, and the energy is climbing to 727. Light cross-onshore winds should leave it a bit lumpy, but it’s the best chance for a few fun ones. The 28th morning with the 19-second period might be cleaner, but it’s smaller at 3ft.

Church is a beach and point break, very consistent, but it’s exposed and always crowded. With these small, longer-period swells, the point might offer a better line than the beach, which could be breaking too straight. But honestly, with these sizes, it’s not going to be a classic. This is a period where you have to be patient and not force it.

Rusty.

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