Crescent Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's on the cards for our local stretch at Crescent Head.

It's a bit of a slow start, to be honest. We're looking at a few days of small, messy surf before the real action kicks in. From Saturday the 15th through to late next week, it's mostly small and average. The water temp is sitting at about average for this time of year, 66°.

The first proper chance to get wet looks to be Sunday morning, August 16th. We've got a 5ft south swell with a short period of 7 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the south-southwest. It's clean, but it’s not a standout. That trend continues through Monday and Tuesday – clean waves around the 5ft mark, but nothing to write home about. The combined energy is moderate, sitting between 244 and 493.

There’s a bit of a gap mid-week where the swell drops right off. By Thursday the 20th, we’re down to 4ft and the wind goes rubbish, so you can give that a miss. Friday isn't much better, with onshore chops.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Keep your eyes on the long-range forecast. Around Wednesday the 26th of August, things start to ramp up big time. The swell jumps to 6ft from the south-southwest, and the energy jumps to strong (705). It's messy, but it's a sign of things to come.

The real standout is the end of the month. Thursday the 27th sees a solid 10ft swell from the south-southeast with a long 12-second period. The combined energy is very strong at 2331. That’s a serious groundswell. By the afternoon it's 15ft at 13 seconds, but the cross-shore wind will chop it up. This is big stuff – only for experienced surfers.

But the absolute pick of the whole forecast is Saturday the 29th of August. We're looking at a clean 13ft south swell with a long 12-second period. The wind is light and from the southwest, making it a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The energy reading is a massive 6048, indicating very strong wave energy. This is a serious, expert-only swell. It'll be big, powerful, and the sets will have plenty of time between them, making it easier to get out the back. The period is long, so it might wall up a bit at the beach, but at a point break like Crescent Head, it should be absolutely pumping. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, and on a day like this, you can bet there will be a few locals out.

The next day, Sunday the 30th, the swell backs off to 6ft with a shorter period, so that Saturday is definitely the one to aim for.

So hang in there through the quiet spell. The middle of the second week is looking like a no-go, but that final weekend has some serious potential for those who know what they’re doing.

Rusty

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