Coastguard Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf and mostly cross or onshore breezes messing things up. It’s not a total write-off, but you’ll be chasing shadows, not set waves. The first real opportunity doesn't even show up until the 15th, and even then, it's marginal. We’re looking at a solid week of nothing before that.

Starting off this Saturday the 8th, it’s flat as a tack. Coastguard Beach is seeing a mere 0.3ft of swell with next to no energy behind it (3). The wind is a cross-off in the morning but it’s not doing anything for a wave that small. The water temp is sitting at 69°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The whole weekend is a scratch. Sunday the 9th brings a sniff of 1ft but it’s still gutless (10 on the energy scale) and the wind swings around, so it’s not worth getting wet for.

The beginning of next week, from the 10th to the 13th, is more of the same. Tiny bits of swell, but the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, even a bit of cross-off, but the waves never get above 1ft. The energy is weak, in the single digits to low teens. You’d be better off doing anything else. There’s a slight bump on Thursday the 14th with 3ft, but the period drops to a rubbish 4 seconds, so it’s just a jumbled mess of whitewater. Not a chance.

Now, onto the one bright spot, and I mean the only one worth circling on the calendar. Saturday the 15th of August. The morning looks like our best bet. Coastguard Beach (Big Island) sees the swell push to a whole 2ft, but the period jumps up to 9 seconds, and the energy reading finally gets into double digits (40). The wind is a clean offshore from the WNW, which will make it glassy and clean. The swell direction is SE, though, which is not the optimum for this spot, so expect it to be a bit softer and less organized. It’s small, but it’s the most surfable it’s been all week. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, so get in early. It’s not a standout ride, but it’s the best we’ve got.

After that, the tap basically turns off again. The rest of the second week drops back down to 0.7ft – 1ft with weak energy and poor wind. There’s a slight bump in the swell on the 20th and 21st, getting to 3ft, but the period is short (5-6 seconds) and the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy and bumpy. Honestly, with that sort of short-period swell and strong cross-shore winds, that setup at a beach break like this might be more interesting for the kite surfers than for us. The final days, the 22nd and 23rd, have similar swell (2ft – 2ft) but the wind is all over the place.

So, there you have it. A long, flat stretch with one morning on the 15th that’s worth a look if you’re desperate and the swell direction co-operates. It’s a long-range call, so don’t bet the farm on it, but it’s the only window with a clean offshore wind and a pulse of energy. Everything else is a skunk. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d be waxing the longboard and hoping for a miracle.

Rusty, out.

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