City Beach groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The first proper surfable window is a bit of a wait, but things start to shape up from Sunday the 9th. There’s some serious action on the cards, but you’ve got to pick your moments and watch the wind.

The opening is rough. Come Saturday the 8th, the swell is a chunky 16ft to 16ft from the WSW but it’s a write-off. We’re talking near gale-force cross-onshore winds and rain. Just savage. You won’t want to be in the car park, let alone the water.

Sunday the 9th sees the swell ease back to 10ft in the morning from the same WSW direction. That’s still a big, powerful wave (combined energy of 4965), but the wind is lighter and cross-onshore. It’s marginal. The afternoon drops to 8ft but stays on the lumpy side. Surfable, maybe, but not the pick.

Now, the real standout for the first week is next Tuesday morning, the 11th. We’ve got a 12ft WSW groundswell, but here’s the kicker – the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE. The report calls it clean. However, for a spot like this, 12ft of long-period, 16-second swell is too much power. It’s predicted to be too big for this break. For the experts only, and even then, it’s on the hairy side.

Stick with me, because Wednesday the 12th morning is an absolute gem. The swell has dropped to a very manageable 8ft, same solid WSW direction, but the wind... the wind is glassy. Zero. Calm. This is your window. Combined energy is still a healthy 2414, but the conditions are “excellent for experienced surfers”. That 8ft on this groyne with glassy conditions? That’s a session to ring in sick for.

Thursday the 13th morning offers another goodie: 6ft, glassy, from the WSW again. A smaller, cleaner version of Wednesday. Perfect for working on your turns. The quality holds for Friday the 14th with a clean 6ft to 7ft from the WSW with a light cross-off breeze in the afternoon. Solid.

Into the second week, Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are quieter but still offer clean windows. The highlight of the second week is Monday the 17th morning. The swell bumps back up to 10ft from the WSW with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy jumps to 5225. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so it’s a bit bumpy, but for experienced surfers on a bigger board, that’s pure, raw power.

It gets messy again from late Monday the 17th and through Tuesday the 18th with strong onshore winds and rain. A storm window. However, there’s another standout brewing for Wednesday the 19th morning. We’ve got a 12ft WSW swell, the wind is light cross-off from the NNE, and the report says it’s clean. Again, 12ft is a big wave here (combined energy of 5387). It’s too big for the average punter, but if you’ve got the stones, that’s a proper session.

After that, the surf settles down into the 6ft to 10ft range for the rest of the period, but the wind is more variable. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st have some bigger, cleaner moments, but the long-range outlook is a bit of a mixed bag with some rain and onshore winds returning by the 22nd.

The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no big surprises with the wetsuit thickness.

So, to sum it up: The absolute best on offer is Wednesday morning the 12th. Glassy conditions and a solid 8ft swell from the WSW. It’s not one for the beginners, but for any competent surfer, that’s as good as it gets. The second pick is Friday morning the 14th. The 6ft swell is a little smaller, but it’s clean from the NE cross-offwind, making for a much more user-friendly wave.

Stay safe, pick your windows, and I’ll see you out there.

- Rusty

Read more