Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s call it straight—Clifton Beach has a slow start, with a long gap of flat, poor surf from now until the morning of Friday, August 23rd. Then a few solid windows pop up if you’re willing to wait.

Water temp is 52°, about 1° cooler than average for the time of year—nothing drastic, just a bit nippy.

The first real hope is Friday morning, August 23rd. We’re looking at a tiny 0.3ft SSW swell, 19-second period—very long period groundswell, but it’s barely pushing through, with combined energy at 121 (weak). Light cross-off wind from the NW, so it’s clean, but the waves are ordinary. Not a highlight.

Saturday August 24th sees a jump to 4ft SSW swell in the morning, building to 5ft by afternoon. Period holds at 16 seconds, and combined energy is strong (642–1001). But the wind is a cross-shore from the W at 12–16 mph, putting a cross-chop on the surface. This is messy, and at 5ft, it’s too much for beginners. In my book, this is a kite-surfing day, not a clean paddle session.

Sunday August 25th morning: 3ft SSW swell, 13-second period, combined energy 498 (moderate). Winds from the WNW at 12 mph, cross-off, so it’s clean. The afternoon drops to 3ft, wind lightens to 9 mph, energy 367. Surfable, but nothing special.

The standout—and I mean the one to mark on your calendar—is Friday morning, August 30th. Clifton Beach gets a 4ft SSW swell, 18-second period, combined energy of 851 (strong). The wind is glassy—dead calm, 3 mph from the NNE. That’s as clean as it gets. Long period groundswell, so expect good shape with long lulls between sets. This is the best session on offer. It’s a beginner-plus spot, so 4ft is fine for most, but the long period adds a bit more punch.

The next morning, Saturday August 31st, is also a beauty. 4ft SSW swell, 14-second period, combined energy 687 (strong), and again glassy conditions in the morning with a 3 mph SW breeze. Two mornings in a row of clean, lined-up surf. The afternoon on Saturday turns ugly—6ft, but onshore wind from the S at 9 mph, which chops it up badly. That’s expert-only territory, but the wind kills it.

Sunday September 1st morning: 5ft S swell, 11-second period, combined energy 607 (strong). Offshore wind from the NNW at 6 mph—clean, but the swell is pushing big for beginners. The afternoon is a ripper: 6ft S swell, 11 seconds, combined energy 1167 (very strong), with light cross-off winds from the ENE at 6 mph. That’s a big, powerful, clean day—only for experienced surfers, but a cracker if you’ve got the skills.

After that, Monday September 2nd morning drops to 3ft S swell, 9 seconds, combined energy 340 (weak), but it’s clean with light offshore N winds. A nice recovery session, but nothing special.

The second week fades out. Tuesday September 3rd and Wednesday September 4th see small 2–2ft SSW swells, periods around 14–18 seconds, combined energy 145–264 (weak). Winds are offshore or glassy, so it’s clean but tiny. Thursday September 5th is a write-off with onshore winds and messy conditions.

My call: Friday morning August 30th is the standout—glassy, 4ft, groundswell, clean as a whistle. Saturday morning August 31st is a close second with glassy conditions and 4ft. Be patient, the first week is a bust, but that second week has some magic.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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