Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s on the cards for Clifton Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 24th starts with a clean 3ft SSW swell (269 combined energy – pretty weak), and a cross-off breeze, making for a decent enough session if you’re a beginner or just want to get wet on a longboard. The water’s sitting at 53°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. But don’t get too excited; Monday afternoon gets a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind.

Tuesday the 25th actually sees a bit of glassy conditions in the morning, but with only 3ft of swell (205 energy), it’s pretty ordinary. The swell period is a short 12 seconds, so it’ll be a bit weak. Wednesday the 26th is a write-off – strong onshore winds and lumpy, choppy surf. Thursday the 27th though, that’s a nice little blip with a clean, offshore breeze and a knee-high S swell. It’s small, but it’ll be tidy.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Friday the 28th through to Sunday the 30th morning is a mixed bag of small, messy conditions or clean but tiny surf. Not much to write home about.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 30th afternoon is the standout. A clean, cross-off wind will groom an 8ft SSW swell (3460 combined energy – strong stuff!) into excellent shape. That’s proper groundswell, with a 15-second period – those are long, powerful lines, perfect for a beach break like Clifton if you can read the sets. It’s big enough that it’s for experienced surfers only.

Monday the 31st keeps the quality going. A 5ft SSW groundswell (19-second period – very long!) with light cross-off winds in the morning, cleaning up for a solid 5ft in the afternoon. This is another top-tier window. Expect long, clean walls and great energy.

After that, the wind starts to play up again, and the swell drops off. There’s a bit of a promising window on Thursday the 5th of September with a 5ft SW swell, but it’s hampered by marginal tide conditions and lumpy wind. After that, we’re looking at a few more clean but small days, and then on the 8th of September, a long-range 6ft SSW groundswell (19-second period) rolls in, but it’s paired with a fresh cross-off breeze, making it a bit of a gamble.

So, in short: the first week is pretty average. The real winners are Sunday the 30th afternoon and Monday the 31st. That’s where you want to be.

Rusty.

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