Constantine Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – if you’re looking for a solid paddle this next fortnight and a bit, Constantine Bay is going to test your patience. The forecast is a real mixed bag of tiny dribbles and bigger, wind-chopped slop, with very few windows where it all comes together clean.

We start off the run on Sunday, 23rd August. The morning is a tease. A tiny 0.7ft swell from the WSW with a light offshore breeze makes for clean, glassy-looking water, but there’s next to no energy (43). It’s more of a floating session than a surfing one. The afternoon turns a little bigger but goes cross-off, so it’s messy.

Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th keep the same story: knee-high dribble. The wind is offshore from the East, which keeps the surface clean, but the swell is just too small to get excited about. The energy is weak (15-41), and the waves are pretty ordinary.

The first real pulse of energy shows up on Thursday morning, 27th August. We get a 4ft swell from the SW, but it’s short-period windswell (7 seconds) and the wind is blowing cross-shore. The energy jumps to 174, but it’s a lumpy, unrefined mess. The afternoon gets a bit more size at 5ft, but the wind sticks cross-shore and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The score is still poor.

That bigger swell we see on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th? Forget it. The wind turns onshore and howls. Friday afternoon brings 5ft but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. Saturday absolutely pumps up to 8ft with a strong onshore gale. The wave energy is high (970), but the conditions are atrocious – blown-out, lumpy, and raw. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The same goes for Sunday 30th, with 8ft and heavy onshore winds.

We then hit a dead zone. From Monday 31st August right through to Wednesday 3rd September, the swell collapses back to almost nothing (0.7ft to 2ft). The wind is either cross-shore or onshore, and the energy is pitiful. It’s a long, flat gap of about 4-5 days with no real surf on offer.

The last hope is a late pulse arriving on Thursday, 4th September. The morning shows a solid 8ft swell from the west with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is very strong (1223), indicating a powerful groundswell. However, the wind is a moderate cross-shore, which will introduce chop. The forecast says the conditions are *marginal*, and the score is only a 2. This is a big, powerful swell, over 8ft, so it’s strictly for experienced surfers who can handle tricky, choppy faces. The afternoon sees the size drop to 7ft, but the wind swings onshore, making it a write-off.

The last couple of days, 5th to 7th September, are a repeat of the earlier stormy pattern. The swell stays big (7ft to 12ft) but the wind is relentless onshore and cross-onshore, with energy levels going through the roof. By Monday 7th September, we’re looking at 12ft waves with a near-gale force onshore wind. That’s a full-on storm surf, not a recreational session.

The Standout (if you’re an expert and patient): If you’re an experienced surfer willing to gamble on a messy, powerful day, keep an eye on Thursday morning, 4th September. The 8ft groundswell from the west packs a punch, and while the cross-shore wind won’t give you perfection, it’s the only pulse of real size and energy that isn’t completely destroyed by direct onshore winds. The water at Constantine Bay is currently sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year.

For the rest of us, this is a classic case of waiting for the stars to align. The wind and swell just can’t seem to get on the same page. It’s a frustrating outlook, but that’s the coast for you.

Rusty.

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