Ditch Plains Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the local scoop on what's happening at Ditch Plains. Let's be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for getting a proper wave. It's a real flat spell we're in.

The water's sitting at 69°, which is a bit colder than what we’d normally expect for this time of year, so you might want an extra layer if you're heading in.

We're starting off on Thursday the 6th of August with nothing to ride. That trend continues right through the first week. The swell is tiny, coming from the south with a short, weak period, and the energy is barely registering (63). Winds are mostly cross or cross-shore, adding to the mess. It's a write-off.

We hit a bit of a gap here. There's simply no surf worth paddling out for until the morning of Sunday the 9th of August. Even then, it's a marginal call. We get a bump in swell, hitting 4ft from the SSW, and the energy picks up a bit (209), but a 6-second period means it's just a bumpy, weak wave. The morning looks clean with a light cross-offshore from the WSW, but the wave quality is still poor. Don't get your hopes up.

After that Sunday morning, it goes back to being flat and rubbish. The waves are non-existent, the energy is in the teens and twenties, and the wind is all over the place. A few mornings on the 12th and 14th of August have offshore winds, but there's just no swell to work with. It's a long, quiet stretch.

The only real glimmer in this whole 16-day forecast comes on the morning of Wednesday the 19th of August. That's over a week away, so take it with a grain of salt, but it's the best we've got. We see a jump in swell to 5ft from the SSW, with moderate energy (147). The real kicker is a fresh offshore wind from the NW, which will clean the waves right up. The period is still short at 6 seconds, so it'll be a bit bumpy on the face, but it'll be the cleanest, most rideable wave in the entire period. That morning is the standout, but it's still only a "maybe" this far out. The afternoon of the same day also looks okay with a 4ft swell and clean conditions, but the wind switches to cross-off.

For beginners, that 5ft swell on the 19th is rideable, but it's pushing the limit of what's comfortable. For anyone else, it's small but clean. Overall, Ditch Plains is a reef break, and with these tiny, short-period south swells, there's just no power or shape. The crowd factor is often a thing here, but with this forecast, you won't be battling anyone for a wave you can't ride.

This is a tough one to call. The surf is basically non-existent for the first week and a half. The only hope is that Wednesday the 19th of August morning, with its clean offshore wind. Otherwise, it's a waiting game for the next real swell.

Rusty.

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