Clovelly Bombie Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's on offer for our little corner of the world. We're focusing on one spot, and I've got to be straight with you—it's a bit of a tough watch for the next couple of weeks. There are some long gaps where you won't want to bother paddling out, but a couple of moments might just make it worth keeping your wetsuit handy.

First up, the only game in town is Clovelly Bombie. It's a deep-water reef, exposed to the open ocean, and it likes an ENE swell direction. It's an advanced, inconsistent wave that doesn't break often, so when it does, you need to be on your game. The water temp is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Right now, we're in a dry spell. From Friday the 4th all the way through to Monday the 7th morning, it's basically flat or junk. Tiny swell, poor conditions—honestly, don't bother. That's a solid four days of nothing. There's a brief moment Monday morning the 7th with a glassy 0.7ft easterly swell and no wind, but it's barely a ripple. Not worth the drive.

Tuesday the 8th sees a spike in energy. The combined energy hits a moderate 607, and we get a 7ft SSE swell. That's a lot of water moving, but the period is only 8 seconds and it's cross-shore wind. That's going to be a lumpy, messy beast. At that size, it's expert-only territory, and with the wind, it's not going to be pretty. The afternoon drops to 6ft but stays messy.

After that, we go into another long, bleak stretch. From the 9th through to the 11th, it's all poor surf with onshore or strong cross-winds and tiny swell. The combined energy is weak, mostly under 100. Not a single window of clean, rideable waves in that whole block.

But hold on. There's a glimmer on the horizon. Saturday morning, September 12th is the standout of the entire forecast. We’ve got a 4ft SSE swell rolling in with a nice, long 12-second period. That's proper groundswell energy, and it's hitting the reef with light offshore winds from the SSW. The combined energy is a solid 489, and the conditions are described as "expect good surf conditions". This is the one. The swell direction isn't bang-on the optimum ENE, but with that period and clean offshore wind, the Bombie could set up nicely. It's an inconsistent spot, so you'll want to be patient, but when a set comes through, it'll be worth the wait. The afternoon turns to onshore slop, so your window is the morning. Keep in mind, it's an advanced wave at this size.

From the 13th onward, it's back to the doldrums. Small, weak swell, cross-shore winds, and then from the 17th we get a proper gale warning with near-gale force southerly winds whipping up a nasty cross-chop. The swell stays tiny, and the energy is weak. That's just straight-up unrideable for a surfboard. With those strong winds and small, choppy waves, this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, to sum it up: you've got a massive gap until the 8th, then another gap until the 12th. The only real chance for a decent wave is that Saturday morning on the 12th at Clovelly Bombie. It's a long way off, so treat it as a promising possibility rather than a certainty, but it's the best we've got.

Rusty.

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