Crescent Head Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for this stretch.

The forecast kicks off with a bit of a mixed bag at Crescent Head. We’ve got some solid energy coming through, but the wind and tide are going to be the main players for most of this run. The real standout, the one you’d circle on the calendar, is that Sunday morning session on the 2nd of August.

Let’s break it down. Thursday the 30th of July starts us off with a clean 5ft S swell, but it’s a short-period 7 second windswell, so not much grunt behind it. The cross-off breeze from the SW is keeping things tidy, but it’s nothing to write home about. The combined energy is weak (326). The afternoon turns into a messy 7ft S swell with a cross-shore wind, so it’s all a bit of a washout. Friday the 31st is a similar story, with a cleaner morning in the 4ft range from the SSE, but the afternoon gets bumpy again.

Saturday the 1st of August is more of the same, a clean morning with 6ft SSE swell, but the afternoon brings rain and a cross-shore wind that chops it up.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August? That’s the one. The morning is glassy as anything – no wind at all – with a beautiful 5ft SE groundswell at a long 12-second period. The combined energy is moderate (713). This is the kind of day you wait for. That long period means the waves will have some real shape and power, best handled on a point break like this. It’ll be clean, groomed, and just about perfect for a beginner to intermediate surfer. The afternoon stays clean but the wind swings around to a cross-on, so get it while it’s good in the morning.

Monday the 3rd of August offers another clean morning, but the swell drops back to 4ft, and the afternoon turns to junk. Tuesday the 4th through to Wednesday the 5th is a real low point, with tiny surf and poor conditions. The energy drops right off.

We see a bit of a pulse come back around Thursday the 6th of August, with a clean 5ft SSE swell in the morning, but the afternoons are still a write-off with cross-shore winds. Friday the 7th has a bit more size at 6ft, but the winds are moderate and the conditions are marginal.

The run from Saturday the 8th to Sunday the 9th of August is pretty poor, with a lot of wind and not much quality. Then Monday the 10th of August gives us a clean 3ft SE swell with a decent 10-second period, but the afternoon gets messy again.

Tuesday the 11th of August is a clean morning with a 4ft ESE groundswell at 11 seconds, keeping the energy moderate (303). Then Wednesday the 12th of August morning is another beauty – a 5ft ESE swell at a very long 12-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate (748). This is nearly as good as the Sunday slot, but the morning session is the only window.

Then we get a big spike for the final days. Thursday the 13th of August morning sees a jump to 7ft S swell, and the afternoon pushes to 8ft. This is getting into expert territory, especially with the cross-shore winds. Finally, Friday the 14th of August morning brings a massive 10ft S swell with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is strong (2927). The forecast says “excellent for experienced surfers,” and that’s no joke. This is a big, powerful swell that’s only for the crew who know what they’re doing. The conditions are clean, but at that size, it’s a serious affair.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best on offer is that glassy Sunday morning the 2nd of August. The second pick is the clean Wednesday morning on the 12th of August. The final big swell on the 14th is a beast for the experts. The rest of the run is a lot of waiting for the wind to behave.

Rusty.

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