Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards.

Honestly, the next couple of days are a write-off. For the rest of Friday and all of Saturday, the wind and swell are all over the place, and the surf is just too ordinary to bother with. You’re better off waiting for the real action to kick off on Sunday the 30th.

Sunday the 30th is where this forecast just ignites. We’ve got a beast of a 10ft SSW swell rolling in at Clifton Beach. Now, this is serious water. The combined swell energy is reading a massive 3641, which is proper grunty. This isn’t a day for the groms or weekend warriors – this is heavy, powerful surf that’s only for experienced surfers who know what they’re doing. The wind is light and gently cross-shore in the morning, cleaning it up, and then goes almost glassy in the afternoon with a W breeze at just 6 mph. The setup will be raw and chunky, so you’ve got to take it seriously.

If Sunday is too heavy for you, the standout of the entire forecast is Monday the 31st at Clifton Beach. This is your magic window. The swell drops back to a clean 4ft from the SSW in the morning, with a cross-offshore NNW wind, leaving it clean. But the real gem is the afternoon. The wind goes completely glassy – SW at 3 mph – with the swell sitting at 4ft and a super long 18-second period coming from the SSW (combined energy of 1351). This is a groundswell, so you’ll be getting long, waiting lines of energy that will set up perfectly. The water temp is feeling about average for the time of year, so it’s comfortable. This is the session to circle in your calendar, and you’ll want to be out there for the afternoon glass-off. Just be aware crowds are a possibility, as this break is often popular.

We hit a rough patch from Tuesday the 1st. The wind picks up strong and the swell gets bullied into messy, poor conditions for a few days. It’s not worth losing sleep over. The clean conditions try to creep back in on Wednesday the 2nd with a glassy morning, but the swell is small at 3ft. It’s an option if you’re desperate.

Things start looking better for the second week. Friday the 4th has some clean, cross-off wind and a 4ft SSW swell, but the energy (756) makes it feel a little unorganized. Still, it’s surfable.

Then, hold onto your board for Sunday the 6th – a 7ft SSW swell is predicted with a strong cross-off NNW wind of 25 mph. The combined energy is 1523, which is solid, and the conditions are clean. This is another one for the advanced crew, because the wind is strong, but if you can handle the power, the lines will be long. But beware – Monday the 7th and Tuesday morning get messy again.

The real redemption comes on Tuesday the 8th. We get another absolute stunner. The wind goes glassy again, and the swell is a perfect 3ft at a solid 14-second period from the SSW (energy of 449). This is a quiet, clean, friendly wave – a perfect mid-week surf for anyone who’s free.

The tail end of the forecast into the second week shows some clean offshore winds (N at 9-12 mph) and small swells. Friday the 11th has a very long period (21 seconds!) but a tiny 2ft of swell. It’ll be weak and only for a longboard. Saturday the 12th finishes things off with a glassy morning and a 3ft SSW swell, combined with a gentle N offshore. A nice, easy way to wrap things up, but nothing compared to that Monday the 31st.

So to wrap it up: Sunday the 30th is for the big dogs. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 8th are the absolute standouts for clean, quality surf. Don’t miss them.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

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