Clovelly Bombie Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions for Clovelly Bombie (reef) over the next 16 days, with only a couple of very brief windows that might get your heart racing, but even those come with a health warning.

Right now, the pattern is flat and messy. We’ve got a massive gap of days with no real surf to speak of. For the first few days, from Tuesday the 8th right through to Thursday the 10th, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell is either too small or too mixed up, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, just chopping everything to bits. The wave energy on Tuesday morning is at 841 (moderate), but with 8ft of short-period 9-second swell from the SSE and a strong 16 mph cross wind, it’s a washing machine. No go.

We finally see a glimmer of hope on Friday morning the 11th. The swell picks up to 7ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, and the wind swings to a light cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph. The wave energy is back up at 848 (moderate). It’s a marginal forecast – not perfect, but clean. This is the standout window of the whole run, but it’s still tricky. That 7ft is getting up there; it’s not for beginners, and for a reef break like Bombie, you need to be on your game. The water temp is 64°F, which is about normal for this time of year. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is your best shot.

After that, Saturday morning the 12th is the other little highlight. A 5ft SSE swell, 10-second period, with glassy conditions thanks to a light NW cross-off at 6 mph. It’s clean and the wave energy is 411 (moderate). This is a much friendlier size for a wider range of surfers, but don’t get too excited – the crowds can be a factor here, so you’ll want to be early.

Then it’s back to the doldrums. From Sunday the 13th all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd of September, it’s mostly tiny, weak swell with poor wind. The energy readings drop to low two-digit numbers, like 59, 35, 28. There are a few clean mornings with offshore winds, but the swell is just too small to get a decent wave at Bombie. The period on some of those clean days is incredibly long, like 16 or 23 seconds, which is a true groundswell, but with only 1.0ft to 2ft of height, it’s a non-event. That kind of long period at a reef break just means you’ll be bobbing around waiting for a set that never really stands up.

Bottom line: This is a lean run. The real standout is Friday morning the 11th for the crew who can handle a bit of size and a tricky reef. Saturday morning the 12th is the next best bet for cleaner, smaller waves. After that, you’re looking at a two-week blank until the 23rd, where we finally see a brief moment of glassy conditions, but again, no swell to speak of. It’s a waiting game.

Stay patient, lads. It tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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