Crescent Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like things are gonna be quiet for a while up at Crescent Head. We’ve got a stretch of small, weak surf with onshore slop through the first week, so don’t get too excited just yet. The real action is stacked in the second week—big, powerful SSW groundswell is on the cards, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. Hold tight.

Tuesday 4th August: A tiny 2ft SE swell creeps in this morning with glassy conditions and a water temp sitting pretty average for the time of year. The combined energy is weak (49), so it’s a longboard glide or a learner’s session at best. By arvo, the wind swings east and kills it.

Wednesday 5th: Another glassy start with a 2ft E swell (78 energy). Still very ordinary. Same story—afternoon onshore wind ruins it.

Thursday 6th: Cleanish early with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is a pathetic 1ft (42 energy). Not worth paddling out.

Friday 7th: A slight bump to 2ft SSE swell, glassy, and the energy ticks up to 137. Still small and weak, but the clean morning window is your best bet so far.

Saturday 8th: Similar 2ft SSE swell, clean with a cross-off breeze, 132 energy. Manageable but nothing to write home about.

Sunday 9th: Swell pushes to 3ft from the ENE, but the wind is cross-shore and the energy is 154. Still poor.

Monday 10th: 3ft ENE swell, cross-off breeze, clean but still ordinary. 125 energy.

Tuesday 11th: Now we’re talking. A 3ft S swell early, glassy, and the energy jumps to 217. Expect good surf conditions—clean, fun, and a real step up. The morning is the standout of the first week.

Wednesday 12th: Another clean morning with 3ft E swell (226 energy) and glassy conditions. Good surf again, but the afternoon wind chops it up.

Thursday 13th: Strong cross-off winds, up to 19 mph, with a messy 2-3ft swell. The wind is clean but the swell is junk. Not your day.

Friday 14th through Sunday 16th: Here comes the big stuff. A massive 12ft S groundswell rolls in, with a long 11-second period and energy readings through the roof—over 4000. Friday morning is clean with cross-off winds, but at 12ft this is only for experts. The water will be heavy. Saturday morning holds the same size and clean conditions, but the swell is still huge. Sunday 16th morning is the absolute standout of the whole outlook: 12ft S swell, 11-second period, cross-off breeze, and a combined energy of 5362—exceptional surf for expert surfers. This is big, powerful, and will be a proper challenge. Crescent Head is a point break, so a long-period S swell like this will line up nicely, but it’s gonna be big and thumping.

Monday 17th: Still 12ft SSE swell, but the wind swings light cross-shore. Energy is 3854. Still big, but the conditions are a bit messier.

Tuesday 18th: Swell drops to 7ft from the SE, with a cross-off breeze and 918 energy. Expect very good surf conditions. This is the best option for strong intermediates who missed the expert-only window.

Wednesday 19th: The swell fades to 6ft, with strong cross-off winds (13 mph). Marginal conditions, energy down to 487. The run is over.

So, the standout session is Sunday 16th morning—big, clean, and heavy. If you’re an expert, that’s your call. For everyone else, Tuesday 11th morning and Wednesday 12th morning offer the best clean, manageable waves in the first week. Keep an eye on the long-range, but the big stuff is still a week away and could shift.

Rusty.

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