Cowries Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and look at the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag, with some proper waiting time before the ocean decides to wake up proper. The good news is, there’s a window of real potential coming, but you’ll need to be patient and pick your moments.

The first week and a bit is pretty bleak, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf. From the 14th through to the 21st, we’re looking at mostly poor conditions. There’s a bit of energy around the 15th with a 4.9ft south swell (330), but it’s cross-off and lumpy, and the tide’s gonna mess with it. Not worth getting excited about. The 16th and 17th see the swell drop and the wind turn cross-shore and cross-on, making everything choppy and ugly. You’ll see the combined energy sitting at weak levels, mostly under 300, which tells you there’s just not much push out there.

The 18th and 19th offer a tiny window of hope. Tuesday the 18th morning has a clean 3ft southeast swell (134) and light cross-off breeze, but it’s still very ordinary. Then Wednesday the 19th morning is pure glass, with a touch of swell at 2ft (162). It’s tiny, but if you’re desperate for a slide on a longboard, it’s the cleanest you’ll get for a while. That’s about all you can say for it.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From the 19th afternoon through the 22nd, the energy completely drops out. The combined energy readings fall to single and low double digits – that’s barely a ripple. It’s a proper flat spell. Don’t even bother checking the cam.

Now, here’s the light at the end of the tunnel. On Sunday the 23rd of August, things finally start to turn. There’s a new south swell pushing in. The morning shows 5.2ft of south swell (393) with light offshore winds, and the model is calling for good surf conditions. That’s your first real standout. The swell direction is pure south, which is what Cowries likes. It’s a reef and point setup, so it should hold that size well. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and has some push.

The 25th of August brings a much bigger pulse, with the swell jacking up to 11.5ft (4681) on Tuesday morning. That’s a serious amount of energy, and the wind and tide are favorable. But, and this is a big but – that’s way too big for this break. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and 11.5ft is firmly in the expert-only zone. You’d be a fool to paddle out. The afternoon sees it drop to 8.2ft, but the onshore wind ruins it. So, while it’s a huge swell event, it’s not a surfer’s event for you.

The real sweet spot looks like Thursday the 27th of August. There’s a 4.9ft south-southeast swell (373) in the morning with light offshore winds and clean conditions. That’s your second standout – a proper, rideable size for everyone, with good shape. The afternoon bumps up to 5.6ft, but the wind gets a bit stronger, though still offshore. Friday the 28th has a similar size, 5.2ft (509), but the direction is more southeast and the wind is light cross-shore, so it might be a little more lined-up. The following weekend is smaller, and it looks like it fades out.

So, to sum it up: Don’t waste your time this week. The surf is flat or messy. The first real wave to get excited about is Sunday the 23rd, and then Thursday the 27th looks like the pick of the bunch for a proper session. The 25th is just a monster, and not in a good way for this spot. Keep an eye on the 27th, that’s the one to clear your schedule for.

Catch you in the water.

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