Cunns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab ya board and listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s cookin’ for our stretch of coast. It’s gonna be a patient man’s game for the most part, but there are a couple of proper windows in the longer range that have got me pretty amped.

To start with, the surf in the immediate near-term is pretty average. We're looking at small, short-period SW swell, and the wind is mostly gonna be a cross-shore breeze messing it up. There's surf on offer, but it’s gonna be a bit lumpy and lack that real push. The water temp is sitting at 60.1°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.

Wednesday (26 August) kicks things off with a small 3.6ft SW swell in the morning, but a 9 mph cross-shore wind is gonna put some chop on it. Not great. The afternoon cleans up a fair bit though. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the NE, and we get a clean 3ft of swell. It's small, but it might be worth a paddle on the longboard if you're keen. The wave energy is weak to moderate here at around 350.

Thursday (27 August) sees the morning ruined by a fresh 19 mph north wind. The swell picks up a little in the afternoon to 3ft but the period jumps to 19 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. This kind of swell can sometimes just stand up and close out at a beach break, but for Cunns (a reef setup), it could be interesting. The energy is strong at 1157, but the cross-shore wind keeps it from being a standout.

Friday (28) is more of the same, with a moderate cross-shore breeze and a slightly bigger 4.9ft SW swell. The period is still a solid 16 seconds, so there's some push. It’s rideable but nothing to write home about. The wind follows the same pattern on Saturday (29) , but by the afternoon it swings offshore (ESE) at 12 mph. That's a big positive. The swell drops to 2.6ft, but it’ll be clean. This is your best bet for the first few days.

Sunday (30 August) is where I start to get interested. The wind goes offshore in the afternoon (ESE, 9 mph) and the swell pulses back up to 3.6ft with a long 19-second period. The energy reads 887, which is moderate, but combined with the light offshore breeze and clean conditions, this is going to be the pick of the first week. Expect good, lined-up waves on the reef.

Then we hit a bit of a lull again. Monday (31st) has the size up to 4.9ft, but a 16 mph cross-shore wind messes it up. Tuesday (1 September) is blown out with a fresh cross-onshore wind and drops quickly. The first few days of September look pretty ordinary, with poor winds.

Keep an eye on Wednesday morning (2 September) – the wind drops right out to nearly nothing, S at 3 mph, and we have a clean 3.6ft SW swell. The period is a fun 15 seconds. This is another clean window, but the swell is on the smaller side. The conditions are way better than the size.

Now, for the real standout. It’s a bit further out, so don't lock your plans in just yet, but the charts are showing something promising for the start of the second week. Saturday morning (5 September) sees a proper pulse of SW groundswell, with the swell height jumping to 6.6ft and the period at 16 seconds. The combined energy is reading a strong 3368, which is a big jump. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the south. This is looking like the best wave of the whole period. It’s a solid size, but Cunns is an advanced reef, so it should handle it.

The quality continues into Sunday (6th) with a 5.2ft swell and clean conditions, but Saturday is the day to circle. A bit further out, Tuesday and Wednesday (8-9 September) also look like they have some serious size, with 6.9ft and a very strong energy reading of 4832 on Tuesday afternoon. But the winds are forecast to be a bit more cross-off, and the size is getting into that territory where it’s only for the very experienced.

Don’t get too excited about the tail end of the forecast – things turn messy by Wednesday (9th) and Thursday (10th) with strong winds and a jump in size. The swell is pushing 9.8ft on Thursday morning, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind, it’s gonna be a washing machine. At that size and with that wind, the setup might actually be more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers.

So, to sum it up: the beginning is small and a bit junky. There are a few clean windows but the size is lacking. The real standout is that Saturday 5th of September swell – it's got size, period, and light wind. That’s your target. And keep an eye on the 8th as a backup, but treat that one as promising but less certain. Patience is the key here.

Stay stoked.

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