Coombesgate Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather round, crew. Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s cookin’ for our local stretch over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the honest truth: We’re looking at a long, lean run here. The first ten days are a brutal stretch of tiny, weak surf with wonky wind. You’ll be staring at flat, bumpy layers. It’s not until the tail end of the window, around Wednesday, August 19th, that we finally see some pulse. The water is sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus for the skin.

Friday, August 7th to Monday, August 18th: This is a near-total write-off. We’re talking about ten days of nothing but dribble. Swell heights hover between 0.3 ft and 1 ft, with the odd day hitting 3 ft, but the energy is pathetic. The combined energy readings are mostly in the single digits or low teens, just weak, wind-blown slop. The wind is either onshore, cross-onshore, or just making a mess. For a spot like Coombesgate Beach, a beach and reef setup, this is pure frustration. The wind is mostly from the west or northwest, which is onshore here, and the swell is tiny. A few days, like Tuesday morning, August 11th, show a clean offshore breeze from the ESE, but with only 0.7 ft of swell, it’s just a tantalising tease. You’d be better off staying home.

Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th: The swell tries to push a little, hitting 3 ft on Sunday morning, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph from the WSW, creating a lumpy, cross-onshore mess. The energy climbs to 112 (moderate), but the quality is poor. Not a paddle-in, more of a kite-session setup if you’ve got the gear.

The Only Real Window – Wednesday, August 19th and Thursday, August 20th:
This is where things get interesting. On Wednesday morning, August 19th, we get a solid 6 ft swell out of the west, with a combined energy of 333 – that’s strong. The period is 8 seconds, which is short-period windswell, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but the wind is a light cross-shore from the NNE. That’s very clean. It’s still a bit messy and the tide might be a factor (the forecast says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions”), but it’s the best we’ve got. For a beginner spot, 6 ft is pushing it a bit, but for the average surfer, there’ll be waves. The afternoon gets choppy again with onshore wind, so the morning is the window.

Thursday, August 20th has a similar story: 6 ft in the morning, but with a cross-onshore wind from the NNW making it choppy. The afternoon drops to 4 ft and is onshore. Not as good as Wednesday.

The true standout: Without a doubt, Wednesday morning, August 19th is the best offer. The 6 ft west swell, the light, clean cross-shore wind, and the strong energy (333) mean it’s the only session that truly feels like surfing. It’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecast, but that’s the one to pencil in.

After that, the swell drops off again on Friday, August 21st, with strong winds ruining the 2 ft that’s left. We get another pulse on Saturday, August 22nd, with 5 ft to 6 ft and strong energy (322-395), but the wind is onshore from the west, so it’ll be a lumpy, blown-out mess. Not recommended.

Bottom line: A long, flat start, then a brief, promising window on Wednesday, August 19th. If you’re desperate, aim for that early session. The rest is for the kites or the hardcore.

Rusty.

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