Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty.

Alright, here’s the deal for Conto Springs: this is a proper reef set-up, exposed to the southwest, and it’s about to get absolutely hammered by a massive, long-period groundswell. The water’s sitting at 68°F, which is a solid 5°F warmer than usual for this time of year – think of it as a warm August gift. The first window is Saturday the 8th, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Saturday morning, the 8th, kicks off with a 23ft SW swell at a deep 15 seconds, and the combined energy is a monstrous 21,380 (moderate-to-strong). That’s huge. The wind is a strong 31 mph from the SSW, blowing cross-offshore, which would usually keep things clean, but honestly, 23ft on a reef is straight-up big-wave territory. This is for experts only. The afternoon stays similar, with the swell holding at 23ft and the period going to 16 seconds, combined energy hitting 27,028 (strong). The wind is still cross-off, still strong. It’s a spectacle, but if you’re not ready for it, stay on the sand. This is the standout: massive, powerful, and very, very clean.

Sunday the 9th sees the swell drop to 15ft in the morning, period still 16 seconds, but the wind swings to 16 mph from the WSW turning it cross-shore. The combined energy drops to 12,698 (moderate). It’s still a big, grindy reef wave, but the cross-shore wind will create a bit of a chop. The afternoon gets worse with the wind going cross-onshore and choppy – not worth it.

Monday the 10th is a write-off. The swell is 16ft, but the wind is 28 mph from the SW, creating a messy cross-chop. The energy is down to 5,849 (weak). Poor surf conditions.

Tuesday the 11th brings another massive pulse: 23ft SW swell at 16 seconds, and the combined energy is a colossal 47,235 (very strong). The wind is 19 mph from the SW, cross-shore, creating a lumpy chop. It’s too big and messy for all but the most experienced. The afternoon is similar, with 21ft and 38,164 energy.

From Wednesday the 12th through to Sunday the 16th, it’s all marginal. Swell drops from 16ft down to 10ft, but the wind is consistently from the west or north, keeping it cross-onshore or onshore, with the energy falling from 10,091 to just 3,516 (weak). The water is still warm, but the waves are chopped and sloppy. Not your day.

Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th see another jump in swell, back to 18ft, but the wind is onshore and strong, making it a mess. The energy spikes to 17,737 (strong) on Monday morning, but the onshore gale is just too much.

The rest of the week, from Wednesday the 19th to Sunday the 23rd, is a mix of juiced-up swell (18ft to 20ft) but with onshore or cross-onshore winds. The energy values are still moderate to strong (up to 20,073), but the wind ruins it. The final weekend, the 23rd, has a 20ft SW swell with fresh cross-onshore wind and 16,843 energy – it’s big, but it’s lumpy.

So, the one true standout is the first two days: Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th. Saturday morning is the absolute peak – massive, clean, and terrifyingly beautiful. If you’re an expert, that’s your window. After that, it’s a long stretch of windy, choppy, or just too-big conditions, especially through the middle of the week. The second week is a gamble with the same story: big swell, bad wind. The forecast is more reliable for the first few days; after that, it’s a watch-and-wait.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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