Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta say, this forecast for Clifton Beach is a real mixed bag. We're in for a long wait, but the finish line has some serious potential. The first week is mostly a write-off, but the second half of the outlook builds into something special.

Alright, so we're looking at a 16-day window, but don't bother waxing up for the first few days. Thursday the 27th of August is a total non-event. Thursday morning has a tiny 2ft south swell with a fairly long 11-second period (88 energy), but it's clean with a light offshore. That's about the only positive. By Friday, the wind swings and the swell gets messy, taking the score to zero. We'll see a few similar days, with a bit of swell but poor conditions, right through to Saturday the 30th.

Then things get interesting, but not for the faint-hearted. Sunday the 30th is a beast. The swell jacks up to a massive 10ft from the southwest, with a 14-second period. The combined energy is a whopping 4693, making for some serious power. But the file says it's predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a huge call. The morning is a bit lumpy with a cross-shore, but the afternoon cleans up with a light cross-offshore wind. For the average surfer, this is a day to watch from the beach.

Monday the 31st of August is where we finally get our chance. The swell drops to a much more manageable 4ft to 4ft from the south-southwest, but the period is a very long 15 to 18 seconds, bringing in proper groundswell energy (861 to 1559 energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping it glassy and clean. The file says "expect very good surf conditions" for the morning and "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" for the afternoon. This is a real standout. The long period will make the waves powerful and well-shaped, but at a beach break, it might be a bit straight. Still, the conditions are so good it's hard to ignore.

After that, the forecast gets messy again. Tuesday the 1st of September is blown out by a strong wind, and the following days show a mix of poor surf or marginal conditions. The swell is small and the wind is mostly cross-shore or onshore through to the end of the first week of September.

The second week opens up a glimmer of hope. The 7th of September (Monday) shows a small 3ft to 3ft SW swell, but with a very long 18-second period and clean conditions. By the afternoon, the file says "expect good surf conditions." It's not huge, but for a clean, long-period wave, it could be a fun session.

The real late highlight is on the 9th of September. Wednesday morning sees a 5ft south-southwest swell with an 18-second period (1358 energy) and a glassy offshore wind from the north. The file calls it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The afternoon cleans up further with a 4ft swell and light cross-offshore wind. This is a proper, clean, powerful groundswell. The 11th of September looks very similar too, with another 5ft, 18-second swell and clean offshore winds. These are the standout days in the second week, but they're a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Crowds at Clifton Beach can be pretty common, so if you do get a clean day, expect company. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Rusty

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