Coastguard Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to the chase: the next couple of weeks at Coastguard Beach are looking flat-out disappointing. I’ve gone through the whole 16-day run, and there’s no proper surf on offer. It’s a long stretch of tiny, weak waves and iffy wind. You might be better off with a kiteboarding rig than a surfboard for the next while.

Starting Monday the 17th, we’ve got nothing. A bit over 2 feet of slop at 4 seconds, with a moderate cross breeze and some rain. The water’s sitting around 71°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. Nothing crazy, but you can shed a layer.

Tuesday the 18th stays poor. A little more energy (86), but still under 3 feet, and the period is short. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-off wind, but the waves are still only 3 feet and weak. Not worth the drive.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are the flattest. We’re talking 1 feet or less, with energy readings in the teens and twenties. Thursday afternoon goes glassy, but there’s nothing to ride. It’s a complete mill pond.

Friday the 21st through Sunday the 23rd don’t get any better. Still tiny, all under 2 feet, with cross-onshore breezes and chop. Sunday the 23rd sees a longer period at 12 seconds, but the height is so small—0.6 to 1 foot—it’s not surfable.

Monday the 24th is a tease: a fresh offshore wind (30 km/h) and clean conditions, but again only 0.6 feet of swell. Tuesday the 25th finally sees a pulse—4 to 4 feet—but the period is a shocking 5 seconds. That’s pure wind chop, messy and unorganised. The energy is still low, so it’s not doing anything.

Now, here’s the one event that might get your attention, but it’s a week and a half out. On Wednesday the 26th of August, the swell jumps to 7 feet from the SSW, with a period of 8 seconds and the combined energy reading hits a massive 673. That’s a real surge of power. The trouble is, the wind is cross-onshore (20 km/h) and it’s going to be lumpy and fairly choppy. For a beginner, 7 feet is a no-go. For the experienced crew, it could be a challenge, but the cross-chop will make it a battle. It’s the biggest swell of the window, but the conditions aren’t making it easy. Still, if you’re an expert and you’re desperate, that’s your only real window.

After that, Thursday the 27th falls away quickly—1 to 1 feet, onshore, and the long period just means you’ll see some lines but nothing to ride.

Then Friday the 28th throws another interesting one: 3 to 3 feet from the ESE, with a period of 13-14 seconds and energy around 280. That’s proper groundswell, but it’s also cross-onshore at 25 km/h, so it’ll be chopped up. A beach break with that sort of long-period energy can break too straight anyway. Probably not the best.

The last few days, Saturday the 29th through Tuesday the 1st of September, are all under 2 feet again, with fresh onshores and occasional clean windows when the wind swings offshore, but there’s just no swell to back it up.

So, summing it up: if you’re a beginner, don’t even bother. For the experts, keep an eye on Wednesday the 26th of August—it’s the only day with size, but be ready for a rough, bumpy session. Otherwise, this is a long, flat, frustrating stretch. It’s a dry spell, but the ocean always turns around. Stay keen.

Rusty.

Read more