Clifton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I've got the story on Clifton Beach. This is a bit of a mixed bag, so let's get into it.

Right now, it's looking pretty ordinary through the first couple of days. We've got a weak, long-period SSW swell rolling in, but with a fair bit of wind on it. The water temp is sitting at 53°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year—nothing weird going on there.

It's not until Sunday the 30th of August that things get interesting. This is the standout. We're looking at a solid 8 ft SW swell with a moderate combined energy of 3450. It's a groundswell with a 14-second period, so it's got some proper grunt. The wind goes light and glassy on the Sunday morning, then again on the Monday morning the 31st, with a light offshore from the NW. That Monday morning window is the pick: clean, 8 ft swell, and the energy is still high at 2750. This is for experienced surfers only, though—that size is no joke.

The late afternoon on Monday the 31st is the other real highlight. Swell drops back to a much more manageable 4 ft, but it swings around to a clean SSW direction with a very long 18-second period. The wind goes glassy (ENE at 3 mph). The combined energy is a solid 1262, and this would be a magic window for a more relaxed board. That's proper quality.

The first week of September gets a bit hit and miss. There are a few clean mornings with offshore winds, like the 1st and 2nd, but the swell is a bit smaller, around 2 to 3 ft. The wind is clean though. Then we get a howling westerly on the 4th and 5th of September which will ruin it. The 5th of September morning actually cleans up with a NNW cross-off at 16 mph and a 4 ft swell, but the energy is only moderate at 911, so it's not the same quality.

Looking further out, the week starting the 7th of September gets big again—10 ft on the Monday morning (7th)—but it's also accompanied by strong onshore winds, so it will be a total mess.

The real long-range standout is shaping up for Thursday the 10th of September. It's a promising call, so don't get too locked in just yet. The morning shows a 4 ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period and a clean offshore from the NNW at 12 mph. That's an excellent recipe for Clifton. The energy is moderate at 954.

Bottom line: Your absolute best bets are Monday the 31st of August morning for the big, clean swell (experts only), and Monday the 31st of August afternoon for that glassy, long-period, smaller wave. The 10th of September morning also looks like a real gem if it holds up.

Stay safe out there.

- Rusty

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