Coronation Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s ahead for Coronation Beach in feet and miles per hour.

We’ve got a solid run of surf across the next couple of weeks, but it’s not all going to be pristine. The standout window punches through early to mid-week next week and again towards the second weekend. There’s surf right from the get-go, so no gap to start.

Friday 28 August: The swell’s already here this morning, 8 ft of SSW groundswell with a 13-second period, and cross-off winds keeping it clean. The energy is pumping at 3739, but the combo of size and a marginal tide call means it’s more for the experienced crew. This afternoon drops to 7 ft, still clean, but the call’s the same—a bit wonky for the average punter.

Saturday 29 August: Early kick-off with 3 ft of SW swell but a looooong 21-second period—that’s proper groundswell, pure energy (1217). It’ll be clean with cross-off winds, but that period is so long it might wall up and race at a beach setup like this. Better for a point or reef. By arvo, the wind swings and the cross-shore chop ruins the fun.

Sunday 30 August: The morning is the pick of the weekend. Swell at 7 ft from the SW, 18-second period, only a light breeze (6 mph) keeping it glassy. Energy is 2904 and it’s clean—a good bet for someone comfortable in overhead conditions. The cross wind later in the day takes the shine off.

Monday 31 August: Similar swell size around 6 ft, but the wind is cross-on in the morning, so expect some ripples. Afternoon turns to cross-shore, still average. Better to wait.

Tuesday 1 September: Now we’re talking. Morning session has clean 6 ft SW swell, cross-off breeze, and a 16-second period—great shape. Energy at 1449. Conditions are nailed on for experienced surfers. The water’s 68°, right on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Wednesday 2 September: Swell holds at 5 ft, but the wind is cross-on all day, starting light then getting moderate and choppy by arvo. Worth a look early, but don’t expect much.

Thursday 3 September: This is the big call for the first week—glass-off conditions on Thursday morning. Dead calm, 3 mph, glassy as a mirror. Swell at 6 ft, 14-second period from the SW, energy 1286. This is the best it’s gonna get for a clean, punchy wave at Coronation. Grab it.

Friday 4 September: Nasty. Strong onshore winds, 22-28 mph, making a mess of the 7-8 ft swell. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing.

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 September: A bit of a lull. Swell drops to 5-5 ft, mostly cross or cross-on wind, with only Sunday morning offering clean 5 ft SW swell and a cross-off breeze. Not terrible, but not the highlight.

Monday 7 – Tuesday 8 September: Small days. 3-5 ft, moderate winds, only the Tuesday morning shows clean lines with a NE cross-off breeze on 5 ft SW swell. Worth a paddle but nothing special.

Wednesday 9 September: Swell building back to 7 ft, 16-second period, but cross-shore wind and chop. Energy climbs to 2299. It’s got grunt, but it’s messy.

Thursday 10 – Friday 11 September: This is the standout second week moment. Thursday arvo and Friday morning both deliver a solid 10 ft of SW swell from a 16-second groundswell. Thursday afternoon has light cross-on wind with a score of 5 out of the whole window—clean energy at 5210. Friday morning is nearly as good with light cross-on wind and 3604 energy. This is big, powerful surf, only for experts. The swell direction is SSW, not exactly the optimum SW, but close enough to line up at this spot. For a beach and reef, the long period will make it dumpy and fast, but if you’re good, it’ll be epic.

Saturday 12 September: Swell backs off to 8 ft with cross winds and chop. Still sizeable, but the magic is gone.

Overall, the best bets are the glassy Thursday 3 September morning, and the big-power Thursday 10 August afternoon to Friday 11 August morning window. Don’t sleep on Tuesday 1 September either—clean, solid, and reliable.

Rusty.

Read more