Coastguard Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Coastguard Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, straight up, this is a pretty bleak stretch. We’ve got a solid 16-day window here, but there’s really nothing to get excited about. The first few days are a total write-off – tiny dribbles of swell with energy readings barely scraping double digits, and the wind is all over the place. It’s not until we get into the first week of September that we see a tiny pulse, but even then, the conditions are just messy.

Let’s break it down. Starting from Sunday the 30th of August, we’ve got a measly 0.7ft of swell from the ESE with a short period of 7 seconds and a combined energy of only 5. The wind is a cross-offshore, but the swell is so small it’s honestly not worth paddling out for. This flat spell drags on through Monday and into Tuesday morning, where we get a little bump to 3ft from the ESE, but it’s only got a 4-second period (weak energy at 32) and the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. Wednesday the 2nd of September sees a jump in period to 11 seconds, giving us a bit of groundswell flavour with a combined energy of 107, but the swell height is only 2ft and it’s coming from the SE with a fresh cross-onshore wind. The setup is lumpy and ugly, not really surfable.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are cleaner with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is tiny – 3ft at best with a junk period of 6 seconds. The energy is weak (55 and 38), so it’s just small, weak waves. The water temperature is a touch warmer than normal at 70°, but that’s not going to save the surf.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th of September gets a bit of a bump in energy, with Saturday the 6th seeing a 3ft swell from the NE with a 7-second period and a combined energy of 103, but the wind is a strong cross-shore, creating a messy cross-chop. It looks more like a kiteboarding session than a paddle surfing day, to be honest.

The second week rolls in with a similar story. The swell stays small, the wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the energy readings are low. There’s a brief clean-up on the 9th and 10th of September with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is only 2ft and 1ft respectively, with poor energy. The period does get up to 9 seconds on the 10th, but it’s still just not enough.

Looking at the guidance, Coastguard Beach is a consistent beginner-friendly spot, but it’s exposed to the SE. The optimum swell direction is from the SE, which we get a few times, but the size and wind just never align. The water temp anomaly is 2°, so it’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only positive.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there isn’t a true standout. If I had to pick a window, the cleanest conditions we’ll see are on the 9th of September (Wednesday) morning with a light cross-offshore wind from the SW and a 2ft SE swell. It’s small, but it’ll be clean. Otherwise, the 10th of September (Thursday) afternoon has a long period 9-second swell from the ESE, but it’s only 0.7ft. It’s a long wait for very little.

This is a classic case of the area going quiet. Don’t lose hope, though – forecasts can change and it tends not to stay this poor for long. Keep an eye on it, but for now, I’d be findin’ somethin’ else to do.

Rusty.

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