Cudmirrah Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, let’s have a look at what’s happening.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, with a real lack of quality, clean surf for a solid chunk of the window. We’ve got a long stretch of average, weak, and wind-affected conditions before a couple of windows where things might turn on, but you’ll need to pick your moments carefully. The first real opportunity is over a week away, and it’s not until the back half of the run that we see any real size.

Friday, August 7th kicks things off with tiny, weak leftovers at Cudmirrah Reef. We’re looking at a 1ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, and the energy is real weak – only 83 units of combined energy directed here. It’s glassy early, which is nice, but honestly, it’s barely surfable. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. You’d be scratching for anything.

The weekend stays pretty flat. Saturday morning has the same 1ft dribble, then it gets chopped out by a 12 mph NE breeze in the afternoon. Sunday, we get a touch more swell, up to 3ft ENE, but it’s still weak energy and the wind swings to a cross-off at 9 mph. It’s surfable for a grovel but nothing to write home about.

Monday, August 10th sees a slight bump in energy (277 units) with a 4ft ENE swell, but it’s still short-period and the 19 mph NW offshore wind is fresh. It’ll be clean but pretty average.

Then we hit a real lull. From Tuesday the 11th through to Thursday the 13th, things are poor. Small swells, short periods, and a lot of cross-off or cross-onshore wind. The energy readings are weak to moderate at best, and the surf quality is just poor. This is a stretch where you might as well do something else.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. On Thursday, August 13th morning, a pulse of proper south swell shows up. We’re looking at 8ft at 11 seconds from the S, and the energy jumps to a strong 1742 units. That’s a big jump. But here’s the catch – the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-shore from the SW, which will put some chop on it. For a reef break like Cudmirrah, this is expert territory. 8ft is over that beginner threshold for sure, and it’s only for experienced surfers.

Friday morning, August 14th, the swell backs off a touch to 5ft from the S with a 10-second period, still 520 units of energy. The wind is light and cross-shore, so it might be a bit more manageable. Still, this is the standout window, offering the most size and power we’ve seen all week. The long-period nature of it (11 seconds on Thursday) actually suits a reef or point setup, but this is a reef, so it could be good. But that cross-shore wind on Thursday is a real buzzkill.

After that, the surf fades fast. The weekend of the 15th and 16th drops back to 4ft and smaller, with onshore winds making it messy. From the 17th through the 20th, it’s mostly tiny, weak, and poor, with no real energy or decent waves.

There is a final glimmer on Friday, August 21st. The morning starts glassy with a 5ft S swell at 5 seconds, but that short period is a bad sign, and the energy is moderate at 109 units. It might be a bit fat and crumbly. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft from the S, but the period is still short and the wind swings onshore, which will close it out. Not ideal.

Then on Saturday, August 22nd, there’s 7ft of S swell left, but again, it’s short-period and cross-shore, so it’ll be a mess.

So, the honest truth is, the only window that holds any real appeal is Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th. That’s when we see the most size and energy, and for a reef like Cudmirrah, that long-period component on Thursday could make for some proper waves if you can handle the bump. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s not for the faint-hearted. But it’s the best we’re going to get in this 16-day run. Everything else is just flat and grovelly. The rest of the window is more of a waiting game.

Rusty.

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