Surf Forecasts:
Desperations surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period, SSW swell with 1,292 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Desperations this week:
The surf forecast for Desperations over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Desperations in the next 16 days are 1.7m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (+12) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Desperations over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s coming.
Right now, it’s a slow start. For the next few days, there’s nothing really worth paddling out for at Desperations. We’re looking at small, short-period SE/SSE windswell in the 3 to 4ft range, with cross-shore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. The water’s sitting at 78° for the time of year, which is pretty normal – no surprises there. There is a bit of a gap through to midweek, so if you’re hanging for a wave, you might need to wait.
Things start to change from Wednesday the 26th of August. A new SSW groundswell pushes in, with a decent period of 16 seconds and swell heights around 5 to 6ft. The combined energy jumps to a solid 1389 to 1408 – that's moderate to strong, so there’s some real push behind it. The catch is, those winds stay cross or cross-onshore, making it lumpy and messy, so the quality is still poor. Not the day to get excited.
Through the end of August and into the start of September, it stays marginal at best. The swell direction stays SSW, but the period drops a bit, and those SE winds keep things choppy. There’s a small window on the Saturday the 29th of August morning – glassy conditions, light SSE winds, and a 3ft SSW swell with a 13-second period. That’s worth a look for a clean, small-wave session, but it’s not going to blow anyone away.
Now, for the real standout. Mark your calendar for Saturday the 5th of September. This is the one. The morning session looks excellent for experienced surfers. We’ve got a 6ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period – that’s proper energy, with a combined reading of 1375. Winds go light easterly, cross-offshore, and clean. At Desperations, with the swell coming from SSW, that’s about as good as it gets. The waves should be well-shaped, with clean faces and solid lines. Just keep in mind, with that quality, the crowds sometimes show up. But if you’re an experienced surfer, that morning is where you want to be.
After that, the swell fades quickly into a smaller, weaker end to the outlook.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sun afternoon, min 20°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Mon night, calm by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed morning, min 20°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Wed night, light winds from the SSE by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SW 18 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 461 | 187 | 188 | 150 | 132 | 67 | 106 | 231 | 911 | 1289 | 1292 | 1102 | 851 | 683 | 656 | 674 | 647 | 487 | 299 | 215 | 144 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:35PM1.21m | 3:22AM1.40m | 4:19PM1.26m | 4:07AM1.46m | 4:58PM1.33m | 4:48AM1.52m | 5:34PM1.41m | 5:26AM1.57m | 6:07PM1.48m | 6:04AM1.60m | 6:41PM1.54m | 6:42AM1.60m | 7:14PM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:16AM0.42m | 9:14PM0.63m | 10:03AM0.36m | 10:02PM0.58m | 10:43AM0.29m | 10:44PM0.52m | 11:19AM0.24m | 11:23PM0.46m | 11:53AM0.20m | 00:01AM0.41m | 12:26PM0.18m | 00:39AM0.36m | 1:00PM0.19m | 1:18AM0.32m | |||||||
 | |  | |  | |  | | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Feels °C | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 6 | SSW 19 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
| kJ | 169 | 32 | 56 | 23 | 23 | 28 | 33 | 231 | 911 | 1289 | 1292 | 1102 | 851 | 683 | 656 | 674 | 647 | 487 | 299 | 215 | 138 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SW 13 | S 16 | SSE 10 | S 14 | SW 17 | SW 18 | SSE 12 | S 11 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SSE 8 | S 14 | S 12 | S 9 | SSE 7 | S 19 | SSE 9 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 49 | 42 | 21 | 20 | 14 | 46 | 79 | 46 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 133 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 36 | 7 | 70 | 31 | 27 | 144 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SSE 11 | S 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 10 | SSE 11 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | SE 15 | — | S 16 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 19 | S 19 | S 22 | S 20 | SSW 16 | S 7 |
| kJ | 73 | 19 | 13 | 18 | 27 | 9 | 24 | 8 | 3 | 8 | — | 21 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 | 26 | 24 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 6 | — | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 461 | 187 | 188 | 150 | 132 | 67 | 106 | 34 | 167 | 84 | 108 | 542 | 96 | 120 | 48 | — | 51 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 1258 | 1275 | 1258 | 1258 | 8 | 8 | 1258 | 1275 | 1258 | 1258 | 1275 | 2201 | 8 | 8 | 118 | 8 | 0 | 171 | 8 |
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Information about the Desperations Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Desperations provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Desperations can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Desperations surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Desperations) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Desperations may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
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