Cobblestones Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag on the cards at Cobblestones over the next couple of weeks – a real tale of two forecasts. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. Let’s get into it.

The first decent window kicks off Friday morning, 28 August. It’s not the cleanest start, but there’s a solid 8ft SW swell (moderate energy of 1630) with a 12-second period and a cross-offshore wind. The conditions are clean, though the commentary warns of marginal surf or questionable tide. It’s an advanced-only reef, so you’ll need your wits about you. The real standout though? Saturday afternoon, 29 August. We’ve got a gorgeous 10ft SW groundswell, a 17-second period (that’s a very long period, so the sets will be meaty and the paddling out will have longer lulls), and a light offshore breeze at just 3 mph. That’s glassy, clean, and the wave energy is pumping (5223). It’s exceptional for experts.

Sunday morning, 30 August, is almost as good – a touch bigger at 12ft SW, with a 17-second period and a cross-offshore breeze. The energy is strong (6797). This is the other true standout; it’s powerful and clean. However, by Sunday afternoon, the wind shifts cross-shore and it gets a bit lumpy.

From Monday, 31 August, things turn ugly. A strong cross-onshore wind kicks in, and the swell hangs around but the quality disappears. It’s messy, choppy, and blown-out for several days straight. We’re looking at a big gap with no good surf from Monday morning through to Friday afternoon, 4 September – about four days of poor conditions where you’d be better off doing something else. If you’re a kite surfer, these big onshore and cross-onshore swells with strong winds might look more interesting than paddling out.

Saturday, 5 September, is a write-off with gale-force winds. There’s a small improvement on Sunday morning, 6 September, with a clean 5ft WSW swell and a cross-off breeze, but it’s not a standout.

Looking further out, the swell really kicks up again in the second week. Wednesday, 9 September, features a massive 16ft WSW swell with clean cross-offshore wind in the morning – but that’s far too big for anyone except absolute experts, and the commentary warns it’s predicted to be too big for this break. The energy is enormous (18970). That theme continues Thursday, 10 September, with 21ft WSW groundswell, but onshore winds ruin it. It’s a promising but less certain long-range event – a proper big-wave session for the crew with huge cojones, but only if the wind plays ball. After that, the swell remains solid but the winds are messy again through to 12 September.

So, to cut it short: the best on offer is Saturday afternoon, 29 August and Sunday morning, 30 August at Cobblestones – both clean, powerful SW groundswells with good winds. After that, it’s pretty grim until the massive mid-September pulse, which is only for the brave.

Rusty.

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