Cunns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s see what’s doing for Cunns over the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a solid reef break here – Cunns – and it’s an exposed spot that loves a good SW groundswell. The water is sitting at 60°, which is about average for the time of year, so no major surprises there. The trouble is, this spot is famously inconsistent, so when it fires, it’s a treat, but there are going to be plenty of flat spells.

The first good window kicks off on Tuesday morning, the 4th of August. We’ve got a clean 4 ft SW swell with a 12-second period. The energy is moderate (548), and with a light cross-off breeze, it’s setting up nicely. But honestly, the real magic is that Tuesday afternoon. The wind drops to glassy, the swell settles to 3 ft, and the period stretches out to a very long 15 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and for a reef, that’s going to mean some lined-up, peeling waves. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so keep an eye out.

Wednesday the 5th is a write-off – messy cross-shore, lumpy, not worth the paddle.

Thursday the 6th is the standout. Thursday morning is glassy again, with a 4 ft SW swell at 16 seconds. The energy is moderate (570), but the conditions are clean. Thursday afternoon gets even better: 5 ft, 16-second period, clean cross-off wind, and the wave energy jumps to a solid 1032. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The wave quality is high, and the wind is your friend.

Friday the 7th starts to get a bit hairy with strong cross-shore winds and building swell, but by the afternoon we’re looking at 6 ft with a 17-second period. The wind is onshore though, so it’s going to be a bit of a mess. The energy is massive (3497), but the quality is gone.

From Saturday the 8th right through to the middle of the next week, it’s a no-go zone. The swell gets big – 8 ft, 10 ft – but the wind is howling onshore, often cross-on, and it’s just lumpy, messy, and dangerous. The wave energy readings are huge (over 4000 at times), but that’s just raw power with no shape. Honestly, for a beach or reef setup, this is more of a kite-surfing or tow-in situation than a paddle session. There’s a big gap of about 5 days with no real quality.

Then, on Wednesday the 12th of August, things start to settle. The swell is still big at 10 ft, but the wind eases to a gentle cross-shore and the period is a very long 18 seconds. The energy is still massive (4864), but the conditions are only marginal. It’s a big, powerful groundswell that might be too straight for the reef, but if you’re an expert, it could be worth a look for the power alone.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are smaller, with 6 ft to 7 ft swell, but the wind is light cross-on, so it’s choppy. Not the best.

Now, the final standout of the whole forecast is Saturday the 15th of August. Saturday afternoon, the wind goes glassy, the swell is 6 ft from the SW with a 17-second period, and the energy is solid (1682). This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The wave quality is there, the wind is perfect, and it’s a rare moment of clean, lined-up swell at an inconsistent spot. This is the one to circle.

Sunday the 16th is okay, but the wind picks up again. After that, it’s a slow decline into poor conditions for the rest of the run.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Thursday the 6th of August, with clean glassy conditions and a nice 5 ft groundswell. The other standout is Saturday the 15th of August afternoon, with glassy conditions and a solid 6 ft swell. The rest of the fortnight is a mix of big, messy swells and a lot of waiting. Stick to those two windows, and you’ll get some good ones.

Rusty.

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