Coombesgate Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We've got a lot of onshore wind and choppy, messy conditions dominating the forecast. It's one of those stretches where you might be better off checking the tide charts for a walk than waxing up. There's a glimmer of hope early on, but then we go into a real slump before things might get interesting again way out at the end of the month.

For the first few days, the swell is just not happening. Monday afternoon the 17th has a weak 2ft of west swell with a short 6-second period, and a 12 mph onshore wind is going to make it a lumpy mess. The combined energy is only at (50), which is nothing. Tuesday the 18th isn't any better; we see a little more swell at 4ft, but still short-period and blown out by a moderate breeze. The water temp is sitting at 66° which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, so that's a bit of a treat if you do get in, but honestly, it’s not worth the fight.

We hit a real dead zone from the 19th through the 25th. The swell stays small, under 3ft, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross. There’s a brief window on the morning of Friday the 21st where we get a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze from the east, but the swell is only 2ft. It would be clean but tiny, maybe a longboard if you’re desperate. Then it just fades away into nothing. The 22nd, 23rd, and 24th are all flat, with swell below 1ft. We're talking about a solid 3-4 days of absolutely nothing to ride at Coombesgate Beach. The water will be clean, but you'll be floating, not surfing.

Now, as we roll into the last week of August, the energy starts to pick up, but the quality doesn't. Wednesday the 26th sees a 3ft west-southwest swell, but the wind is messy. By Friday the 28th, the swell bumps up to 5ft, but it's crossed up with a fresh breeze. The energy is building though, hitting (526) for the day. This is where it starts to get interesting, and the surf is definitely not for beginners. This is pushing into intermediate territory.

The real standout in this whole forecast is Saturday the 29th of August. We've got a solid 7ft west swell, and strong, powerful energy at (1156). The period is a workable 9 seconds. The catch is the wind is onshore from the northwest at 16 mph. It's going to be big, powerful, and likely lumpy. This is only for experienced surfers who know the Coombesgate rip. The swell direction from the west matches the optimum for the spot, so the shape could be okay, but the onshore breeze is a major drawback. It will be big, but it won't be clean. This one is only for the experts among us.

We end the period with more of the same. Sunday the 30th has a 5ft swell but is blown out by strong cross-shore winds. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September see the swell jump back up to 8ft, but again, the winds are all over the place, keeping things messy and lumpy. There’s plenty of power there, but it will be a battle. The setup looks like it might be more fun for the kite surfers than for us paddle surfers, to be honest.

So there you have it. A couple of glimmers early on for the desperate, a big and messy day on the 29th for the brave, and a whole lot of waiting in between. Forecast this far out can always change, so keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more