Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast, and Conto Springs is the one spot on the radar that’s got my attention. We’re looking at a solid run of swell, but the wind is going to be the real story for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off on Tuesday, 18th August, and it’s a bit of a frustrating one. There’s a massive 15ft groundswell from the WSW with a very long period of 16 seconds, pumping a huge amount of energy into the water (11254). But the wind is a cross-onshore 12 mph from the WNW, putting a nasty chop on it. The water temp is 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Look, the size is there, but it’s messy and not really worth paddling out for. The afternoon gets worse with onshore 16 mph winds, so it’s a write-off.

Wednesday the 19th keeps the same size, 15ft from the WSW, but the 12 mph wind is a cross-shore from the SW. It’s still a bit of a cross-chop, not clean. The afternoon is back to that bumpy cross-onshore, so we’re still waiting.

Thursday the 20th drops a little to 12ft from the SW. The wind eases slightly to 9 mph, but it’s still a cross-shore. It’s surfable but not what you’d call a standout.

Now, here’s where the magic might happen. Friday the 21st of August. We’ve got an 12ft SW groundswell, and the morning is glassy with a 3 mph offshore breeze from the west. The sea is dead flat, clean as a whistle. The energy is still strong (5212), and the swell is a solid groundswell. This is a big, powerful wave, over 8ft, so it’s for the experienced crew only. It’s going to be a beast of a day, and the break can get crowded sometimes, but for that quality, it’ll be worth it. This is your best call for the whole forecast.

Saturday the 22nd still looks good. The swell is a slightly smaller 10ft from the SW, but we’ve got a 6 mph cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. The waves will be clean and lined up. It’s still a big wave, so keep your wits about you.

The quality holds through Sunday the 23rd with an 8ft SW swell and a moderate cross-offshore breeze. It’s dropping but still fun.

Monday the 24th is a bit of a mess. The wind swings to a cross-on from the north, and the swell is pushed around. Tuesday the 25th is a full no-go with a near gale from the west, blowing the 12ft swell into a total mess. Kite surfers might be the only ones having fun that day.

The middle of the week, 26th and 27th August, has some size (13ft and 8ft), but the wind is strong or onshore, keeping it choppy and unattractive.

Friday the 28th sees a drop in size to 5ft, but the period is a very long 19 seconds. The wind is a clean cross-off from the south, but it’s a fresh breeze at 19 mph. That long period means the sets will be few and far between, and at a beach break like Conto, it might break a bit straight. More of a novelty session.

Then, another standout appears. Saturday the 29th of August. The swell picks back up to 8ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (3808), and the conditions are clean. This is a solid, high-quality day for experienced surfers. It’s not as big as the 21st, but it’s still a gem.

The last few days of the month and into September see a mix of 10ft swell with light winds, but the wind is either cross or cross-on, preventing that glassy perfection we saw on the 21st. The first few days of September have onshore winds, so we’ll be watching for a new pattern.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute standout is Friday the 21st of August for the early glassy session on a big 12ft WSW groundswell. The second best is Saturday the 29th of August for the clean, lighter winds on a similarly sized swell. The rest of the period is a waiting game, with plenty of size but wind that’s going to keep you on your toes.

Rusty.

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