Conto Springs Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've got a look at what's coming up for us at Conto Springs. This is a proper reef break, very consistent, and it's been exposed to some serious SW groundswell energy. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The forecast starts with a bit of a mixed bag this Saturday, the 22nd of August. We've got a solid 10-foot SW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period, pumping a massive 4136 units of energy. It's a big swell, definitely one for the experienced crew, and with a strong cross-off SSW wind, it'll be clean. But the reports are calling it marginal, likely due to tide, so it's not a full green light. The afternoon drops a touch to 8 feet, same clean conditions, but still that same marginal note.

Sunday the 23rd keeps the swell around 8 feet from the SW with a 13-second period, still packing a lot of energy (over 2700 in the morning). The wind stays cross-off from the SSW, and it's clear skies, so the surf will be clean. Again, it's flagged as marginal, so your timing will be key.

Then things get rough. Monday the 24th sees a strong NW wind shift onshore, making a mess of the 8-10-foot SW swell. The quality drops out fast. Tuesday the 25th is worse with a howling 25 mph NW wind and a massive 12-foot WSW swell. The energy rockets up to 9632, but it's a total write-off for paddle surfing. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Wednesday the 26th is a beast. The swell peaks at 18 feet from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, and the energy is a colossal 18737. The wind is a strong cross-shore, and the report literally says it's too big for this break. This is extreme, expert-only territory, and even then, it's a daunting prospect.

We get a reprieve from Thursday the 27th. The swell drops to a still-chunky 12 feet from the SW, but the wind swings to a light cross-off SSW, making the surf clean. The energy is still high (5648 in the morning), and the afternoon is flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. Friday the 28th is the standout window. The morning is glassy—zero wind, clear skies, with a 8-foot SW swell and 12-second period. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off. This is your best chance for a quality session, with the energy at a more manageable 1546.

After that, the outlook deteriorates again. The weekend of the 29th-30th brings strong onshore N winds, ruining the 7-10-foot SW swell. The energy is still there, but the chop and bump make it ugly. A small window appears on Monday the 31st of August, with a light cross-off SSW wind, an 8-foot WSW swell, and a long 17-second period, giving us clean, excellent surf for experienced surfers. The energy is 4160.

The first week of September looks average at best, with mostly onshore winds and choppy conditions. There's a brief moment on Thursday the 3rd of September with a light cross-shore SW wind and a 10-foot SW swell, but it's still marginal. The following days are dominated by onshore winds and poor quality.

So, to boil it down: the best on offer is the glassy morning of Friday the 28th of August, with 8-foot SW swell, perfect for experienced surfers. The second pick is the afternoon of Thursday the 27th, also clean and powerful. The rest of the forecast is a mix of too big, too windy, or too marginal. There's a gap of several days of poor surf from the 1st of September onwards.

Rusty.

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