Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk surf.

Right now, things are pretty quiet. We’ve got a lot of days ahead, but there’s not much to get excited about for the first week or so. The standout window comes at the very end of the run, but we gotta wade through a lot of small conditions to get there.

Starting Saturday, August 8th at Clifton Beach, it’s tiny. We’re looking at a 2ft SSW groundswell with a period over 15 seconds, so it’s got some push but the size is minimal. Combined wave energy is moderate at 155. The morning has a gentle offshore from the north, so it’s clean, but with those small waves, it’s more of a longboard or a funboard session. Not a standout by any means. The water temp feels about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Through the rest of that weekend and into the following week, the swell drops right off. Sunday (August 9th) is even smaller, and we get some light rain and cross-off winds making it barely worth checking. Monday (August 10th) gets messy with onshore wind and a bit more size at 2ft, but it’s poor conditions.

There’s a long stretch of small, messy surf from here. Tuesday (August 11th) afternoon shows a 2ft SSW groundswell at 18 seconds, with light cross-off wind and clean conditions. The combined energy is moderate at 292, but the size is just too small to call it a good session. Wednesday (August 12th) and Thursday (August 13th) are both a write-off with strong cross-shore winds and building swell but rubbish conditions.

Now, the first real glimmer comes Friday morning, August 14th. Swell bumps up to 7ft from the SSW with a 16-second period. Energy jumps to 2303 – that’s strong. The wind is cross-off from the west-northwest, keeping it clean. But that’s big for most beginners, and the afternoon goes to hell with onshore wind and rain. So, if you’re a competent surfer and can get out early, that Friday morning might offer some fun.

The absolute best of the entire forecast lands on Saturday, August 15th. Morning session looks unreal. A solid 5ft S swell, 16-second period, with barely a breath of wind out of the northwest (3 mph cross-off). The combined wave energy is strong at 1042, and the conditions are glassy clean. This is where you want to be. Easy to spot the good ones. The afternoon holds up okay, but the morning is the pick.

After that, Sunday (August 16th) morning still has some clean surf at 3ft, but it’s dropping fast. The rest of the second week is pretty lackluster – tiny waves, cross-on breezes, and generally ordinary conditions. There’s a brief return of glassy conditions on Friday, August 21st and Saturday, August 22nd in the mornings, but the swell is only 2ft or smaller, so there’s not enough power to make it a session worth planning around. The gap between the good Saturday and the rest is about five days of tiny, poor surf.

Bottom line: Don’t bother before Friday, August 14th at the earliest. The real green light hits Saturday morning, August 15th. That’s a clean, solid south swell with light wind. Get on it.

Rusty.

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