Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Clifton Beach, trying to make sense of the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. Honestly, the start of this stretch is pretty grim, and if you're looking to paddle out, you're going to want to skip the first few days entirely. It's not looking like there's anything rideable until Tuesday the 8th.

The real story here is a big pulse of long-period energy that swings through later in the week. The first couple of days are a write-off. We’ve got a Monday with a cross-onshore breeze and a choppy 4ft of weak, short-period slop. The combined energy is a feeble 203, which is just gutless. The water temp is 53°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Then on Tuesday the 8th, the wind swings offshore and the swell drops a bit, but the period jumps way up to 18 seconds. This is some proper groundswell, clean and glassy in the morning with light winds. The energy is a moderate 436, and the wave face is showing around 2ft. It’s small, but it’s clean. The afternoon picks up slightly to 3ft with a 17-second period and a bit more energy (561). It's marginal, but it's the first real sign of life.

Wednesday the 9th is a full-on blowout. The wind screams in from the WSW at 22-25 mph, and the swell jumps to 8ft. The energy ramps way up into the thousands (4363-4649), but it’s going to be a complete mess. Forget it.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 10th is the standout of the whole run, but you need to be an expert. The ocean is going to be absolutely alive. Swell heights are predicted at 12ft in the morning, with a 16-second period and a massive energy reading of 9052. This is no beginner wave. Light offshore wind and clean conditions, but this is a serious, expert-only session. The afternoon is still big at 10ft and powerful, but the wind goes a bit cross-shore. This is the day for the big-wave crew.

Friday the 11th brings the swell down to a more manageable 5ft in the morning. With a light offshore breeze and a 17-second period, it’s going to be clean and lined up. The energy is still strong at 1162. This looks like the pick of the week for the average surfer. The afternoon gets a bit onshore, so get your waves in early.

Saturday the 12th should still be fun. 4ft of SSW swell with a 16-second period and a light offshore wind in the morning. The energy is a solid 787. It’s not as big as Friday, but it’s clean. The afternoon goes glassy, which is a major bonus.

Sunday the 13th sees the swell fade to under 3ft. It’s still clean with offshore winds, but it’s going to be small. The energy is dropping, and by Monday the 14th, the swell is tiny and the wind is howling. That run of fun waves is gone.

The middle of next week (15th and 16th) is more junk. The wind is up and the surf is poor. There’s some size on Tuesday the 15th, but it’s blown out and lumpy. The long-range charts for the last few days of the window show some promise for Friday the 18th, with a clean 4ft on the forecast, but it’s a long way out and much less certain. After that, the surf just fades away to nothing. All in all, the window for good waves is tight—basically Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th, with Thursday the 10th being the big, gnarly standout for experts only.

Rusty

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