Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

Alright, mate. Rusty here. Clifton Beach is the only game in town for this forecast period, so let’s get into it. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some real magic brewing for the second week if you’ve got the patience for it.

The water’s sitting at 53°F which is bang on average for this time of year, so no icy surprises. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, honestly. Monday afternoon the 31st of August has a glassy 4ft SSW swell with a long 18-second period, moderate energy (1469). It’s clean, but it’s a bit of a bigger, longer-period groundswell that can be a bit tricky on a beach break like this. It’s decent for the experienced crew, but not a standout for everyone.

Then we hit a dry patch. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd are small and messy with cross-off winds, poor conditions. Thursday the 3rd gets blown out with strong winds. Friday the 4th looks a bit better with a moderate offshore wind in the afternoon and a 5ft SSW swell, 17-second period, and strong energy (1282). That’s a solid, clean option for the experienced surfer, but it’s still not the best of the whole run.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th is a washout, too much wind. There’s a small window on Sunday the 6th afternoon with a light breeze and a 3ft S swell, but it’s short period and weak energy (377). Not worth getting excited about.

The true standout is the week after. Monday the 7th is a write-off, but from Tuesday the 8th onwards, things start to get interesting. The morning of the 8th is cross-shore, but the afternoon sees a jump in size to 6ft SSW swell with a fantastic 18-second period and very strong energy (2396). The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean. That’s a solid, powerful wave, but at 6ft it’s getting into the territory where it’s better for the experienced lot.

Then we hit the jackpot. Wednesday the 9th of September is the pick of the bunch. The morning is clean with a light NNW breeze, 4ft SSW swell, 18-second period, and strong energy (983). But the afternoon... absolute glass, no wind, 5ft SSW swell, 18-second period, strong energy (1124). That’s as clean as it gets. Perfect conditions for a long session.

Thursday the 10th is another beauty. The morning has a light offshore wind, 5ft SSW swell, 19-second period (very long period), and strong energy (1337). That’s a world-class groundswell. The long period means it’ll wrap around nicely and offer some big, clean lines, but it might be a bit too straight for the beach break at Clifton. Still, if you’re in the right spot, it’ll be incredible for experienced surfers.

The end of the run from the 11th to the 15th of September sees a drop in size, with some clean, fun, smaller waves on the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 15th mornings. The 13th afternoon has a bigger 7ft SW swell, 17-second period, very strong energy (3085), but it’s cross-shore and marginal, so it’s a bit of a gamble.

Overall, the best windows are the afternoons of Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th of September. That’s the gold. The long-range stuff on the 8th and 13th are promising, but with that much energy and size, you’ll be picking your moment carefully.

Rusty.

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