Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve only got one spot on the menu for this outlook, and it’s looking like a solid run of swell for the crew who can handle it.

The big story is a long-lasting pulse of SSW groundswell that kicks in from the get-go and keeps the energy alive for the best part of two weeks. This is definitely not a beginner's window, but for the experienced surfer, there are some absolute gems in here.

We’ll start with Downtowns, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and handles a SSW swell well. The water temp is pretty average for this time of year, nothing to write home about there.

First up, Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of August are your early standouts. You’ve got a solid 7 ft to 8 ft SSW swell rolling in with a very long period of 16-17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is strong, sitting around 2400 to nearly 3500. The real kicker? The wind is glassy – light SSE or ESE breezes. That means clean, smooth faces with no chop. This is as good as it gets for a reef break, with the long period likely giving you long walls and proper shape. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get out early.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th stay solid at 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind shifts to a light cross-off. It’s still clean and the swell quality holds, but it loses that perfect glassy sheen. Still excellent surf, just not quite the top-tier conditions of Thursday and Friday.

We hit a bit of a tricky patch from Monday the 10th through to Thursday morning the 13th. The swell actually pumps up, hitting 10 ft on Monday and Tuesday, with combined energy jumping up to 5000-6000. That’s a lot of power. But the wind gets messy – cross and cross-on conditions with moderate breezes. This creates a cross-chop and wind ripples. For a spot like Downtowns, these are the days for experts only. The waves will be big and powerful, but the surface won't be pretty.

Thursday afternoon the 13th sees a return to form – glassy conditions and a solid 8 ft SSW swell. That’s another top-tier session if you can make it.

Then we’ve got the true standout of the entire run: Saturday the 15th of August. The morning shows a 10 ft SSW swell, 19-second period, combined energy of 5435 – massive power – and a light cross-off breeze. The afternoon is even better: 10 ft, 18-second period, 4821 energy, and the wind goes *offshore* from the east. That’s the dream combo for a reef: big, long-period groundswell with offshore wind. It will be hollow, clean, and powerful. A day for the quiver of a lifetime.

Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th stay clean but the size and energy start to drop off (7 ft down to 6 ft). Still fun, but not the barnstormer Saturday was.

There’s a drop in quality on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday morning the 19th, with smaller 3 ft to 4 ft swell and cross-shore winds. But then Wednesday the 19th afternoon throws another big one at us: 8 ft, 18-second SSW groundswell with glassy conditions and energy of 4385. That’s another incredible session that’s well worth chasing, though the wind looks to turn a little cross-on in the afternoon.

From the 20th onwards, the swell hangs around at 7 ft to 8 ft, but the winds are mostly cross or cross-on, making it more of a solid, workable surf rather than a pristine standout.

The Bottom Line: If you can only pick one day, make it Saturday the 15th of August. The offshore wind with a big, long-period SSW swell is as good as it gets for Downtowns. The other absolute must-surf windows are the glassy mornings on Thursday the 6th, Friday the 7th, and Wednesday the 19th. For the rest of the time, there’s plenty of swell, but you’ll need to be a local to know the tides and manage the wind.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty.

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