Cobden Beach - The Channel Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got one main spot to look at, and it’s a bit of a slow burner with a wild tease in the middle.

The first few days are actually pretty decent to get back in the water. Tuesday the 18th kicks things off with a clean 6ft swell from the WSW, light cross-offshore breeze, and the water is sitting at 55°, which is bang on average for this time of year. The energy is solidly moderate (723), and for a beginner-friendly spot like The Channel, that’s a nice, manageable size. The morning is the pick, as the afternoon gets a bit wonky with a cross-on wind.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are more of the same fun – clean, 4ft swell, light cross-off winds, and that long period of 14-16 seconds means the waves will have some real push to them. Long period groundswell like this can be a bit tricky at a beach break, but The Channel is a channel, so it should handle it well. It’s a good run of surf.

The standout window, and I mean the real standout, is the morning of Friday the 21st. We’ve got 3ft of swell but it’s going to be glassy. Dead flat calm. That’s as good as it gets for clean conditions. The energy is still there (443), and while it’s not huge, the quality is going to be top-shelf.

Then things get a bit weird. Saturday the 22nd sees a big jump in size to 8ft, but the wind is onshore and it’s raining. That’s too much juice for a beginner spot, and the conditions are going to be messy. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are a washout – massive 13ft to 15ft swell with screaming cross-onshore winds. This is full-on, expert-only, hold-your-breath territory. The energy readings are bonkers – one of them hits 6851 – so it’s powerful, but it’s not for paddling. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than anyone with a paddle.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are still on the chunky side, but the winds start to settle. Tuesday’s 10ft is still too big for this break, but by Wednesday the 26th, we’re back down to 5ft with clean, cross-offshore winds. That’s a solid return to form. The rest of the week into the first week of September holds a mix of clean, smaller waves, with a final solid morning on Sunday the 30th – 5ft, clean, and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The last few days of the forecast are small but clean, with a nice 6ft morning on Monday the 1st of September.

So, the best call? Hit that Friday morning the 21st for the glassy perfection. If you miss that, the clean mornings of the 26th and the 30th are your next best bets. The big stuff in the middle is just for the eyes.

Rusty.

Read more