City Beach groyne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it's Rusty here. Let's get straight into it. The next 16 days are looking like a bit of a mixed bag for us at the City Beach groyne, with a big pulse of swell showing up later that will be way too much for this spot. We've got a stretch of clean, workable waves to kick things off, but then a lot of wind-affected and blown-out days before a final chance of something good.

The session to circle on the calendar is Sunday morning, the 30th of August. The swell is a solid 7ft from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, packing a heap of energy (2488). That's groundswell, which means powerful lines with long waits between sets, so you'll get a breather. Now, that 7ft is getting up there – it's pushing into expert territory for this break – so if you're not on your game, sit this one out. The wind is a super light NE breeze at 3 mph, keeping the surface clean. The early morning light will be on it.

Before that, Saturday morning, the 29th of August, is a good warm-up. The swell drops back to 3ft from the WSW, but the period is a massive 19 seconds (625). It's small, so the long period might make it a bit fat and straight-breaking on the beach, but with clean ESE offshore winds at 12 mph, it'll be glassy and fun for a longboard or a fish.

We have a bit of a dry spell after that Sunday peak. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are mostly onshore and messy. There's a long gap of poor to marginal conditions until we get to another standout. Saturday morning, the 5th of September, looks sweet. The swell is 5ft from the WSW with a 14-second period (854), and the wind is dead calm – glassy conditions. That's a rare treat, and the waves will be clean as a whistle, perfect for all levels.

Then, Sunday morning, the 6th of September, has a 6ft WSW swell at 14 seconds (1224) with a light 3 mph NE cross-offshore breeze. Clean waves again, a bit more push than Saturday.

Now, for the big one. On Tuesday the 8th of September into Wednesday the 9th, a massive swell is forecast. The energy numbers are crazy – 4728 on Tuesday afternoon and hitting 9756 on Wednesday morning with a 15ft swell at 16 seconds. This is a massive, powerful groundswell, but the data says it's too big for this break. The waves will be closing out and dangerous, so unless you are an absolute expert looking for a beatdown, this is a no-go. Kite surfers might have a field day with the power and the onshore wind that follows.

After that big swell, the wind turns onshore and strong, with onshore winds up to 19 mph on Friday the 11th. The last chance for a wave is Monday morning, the 7th of September, before the big stuff arrives. That has a 4ft WSW swell (400) with a clean NNE cross-offshore breeze. Small but fun.

So, bottom line: Sunday the 30th of August is the one for the experienced crew. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September are your best bets for clean, manageable waves for everyone else. The middle of the second week is a write-off from the stormy swell. Keep an eye on the forecasts though; things can change.

Stay salty,
Rusty

Read more