Cobden Breakwater Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, let's get into it. The surf is not kicking off with much fanfare. First real window is Thursday arvo. We’ve got a 4ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, and the water is sitting at 55°F, which is pretty average for this time of year. The wind is a cross from the NW, so it’s going to be a little lumpy. Wave energy is moderate at 471, but it’s not clean enough to get the heart racing.

Friday morning is where it starts to clean up. The swell drops slightly to 3ft, but the wind goes glassy from the ESE. That’s the key. Expect clean, glassy conditions with a nice 14-second period. It’ll be a bit small, but it’s surfable and fun. Energy is 443. The arvo stays glassy with a light W wind, waves around 3ft. Still clean, but fading.

Saturday is a bit of a mess. Light rain and the wind starts to blow. Morning has a 3ft W swell with a 20 km/h N cross-off, keeping it semi-clean. It’s marginal. The arvo, though, it gets ugly. The wind swings to the NNW at 25 km/h, creating a cross-chop, and the swell jumps to 6ft. It’s messy, and the energy jumps to 972. Not worth your time.

Sunday is a full-on storm. Strong W winds at 40-45 km/h and a massive 16ft swell. The energy is at a screaming 4516 then 6336. This is a full-blown, lumpy, cross-onshore mess. Unless you’re a kite surfer looking for a thrill, stay away. For paddling, it’s a hard pass.

Monday brings a giant 13ft groundswell from the W with a 15-second period. The wind is light and glassy in the morning, which is a beautiful sight, but this is far too big for the break. The energy is massive at 6889. The wave comment says it's too big. It’s an awesome show, but it's only for experts who are crazy. The arvo is similar, with an 12ft swell and an onshore SW breeze, so it’s not any better.

Tuesday morning is the standout of the first week. The swell has dropped to a fantastic 7ft from the W at a long 14 seconds. The wind is glassy from the ENE. This is it. Good size, good shape, clean faces. The energy is a solid 1768, and the wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Circle this one on the calendar. The arvo drops to 7ft with a NW cross, still okay, but not the same.

The middle of the week is patchy. Wednesday has a cross-on wind in the morning and a short-period 10ft NW swell in the arvo that gets chopped up. Thursday is similar with a NW swell and a cross-off wind, semi-clean but lumpy. Friday morning looks good again. A 4ft W swell with a 14-second period and a solid offshore ENE wind. That’s a recipe for clean, fun waves. Energy is 826.

The weekend is mixed. Saturday gets big and rough with a 10ft WSW swell and a fresh cross-wind. Not great. Sunday looks promising for the long range. A 3ft W groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the wind is offshore from the NE. Energy is 865, and it’s clean. This is one to watch.

The following week starts with a fun run on Tuesday, September 1st. Swell builds from 5ft to 6ft with a W direction and 11-second period, with offshore cross-off winds from the SE. Good, consistent surf. Wednesday gets bigger at 8ft but the period drops to 9 seconds, making it more hollow and less organized.

But the real monsters are coming Thursday and Friday, September 3rd and 4th. Swells of 13ft to 15ft. The energy readings are off the charts at 8888. The wind is light, but this is way, way too big for this break. It’s a spectacle, not a surf session.

So, the pick of the bunch is Tuesday morning, August 25th, with 7ft of clean W swell at a long period. That’s the best on offer. The other standout is Sunday, August 30th, with that clean 3ft long-period swell and offshore winds. It’ll be smaller, but super clean and fun. The long-range stuff is huge and just unrideable here.

That’s the rundown from me. Keep an eye on that Tuesday morning session. It’s the one.

Rusty.

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