Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it's Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for this next stretch. We've got a pretty solid run of surf coming up, all focused on one spot. The water's sitting at a balmy 80°, which is dead on average for this time of year, so no shock to the system there.

We're looking at a solid window of action starting on Thursday, August 27th, and running right through to Friday, September 11th. There are no gaps in the forecast.

Let's get into it. The main show is Downtowns (reef), a fairly exposed reef break that likes a good SW swell. The combined wave energy is strong to very strong, hitting a massive 1140 in the early stages and building all the way up to a beastly 3907 by Friday morning. That's a lot of power in the water.

The first few days, from Thursday the 27th through to Saturday the 29th, are a bit of a mixed bag. The swell is there, but the winds are a bit cross or cross-on, creating some ripples. It's not terrible, but it's not the best of the run either. The swell is 3ft to 4ft on Thursday, then jumps to 8ft on Friday. That's a big jump. At 8ft, this is experts-only territory, especially with a long period of 17 seconds. That long-period groundswell will be wrapping around the reef, but it's a powerful wave.

The real standout arrives on Monday, August 31st. The afternoon session is where it's at. The swell is a clean 5ft from the SW, with a long 18-second period, hitting the reef with combined energy of 1763. But the clincher is the wind: glassy, from the SE. That's a clean wave all day. This is the kind of afternoon where you paddle out and the lineup is just working. The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers," and I'm not going to argue.

Tuesday, September 1st, is another absolute cracker. The morning kicks off with a 7ft SW swell, 18-second period, and glassy conditions from the S. That's a proper, powerful wave. The energy is at 2844. This is the pick of the bunch for the whole run. The afternoon is also glassy, though a touch smaller. If you can only get out one day, make it Tuesday.

The rest of the first week and into the second week, from Wednesday, September 2nd, through to Friday, September 11th, the swell stays in the 5ft to 7ft range, with period dropping from 17 seconds down to 13, then picking up again. The winds are mostly light, with some glassy periods, especially on the afternoons of the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 9th. The 9th of September afternoon is another highlight, with a 4ft SSW swell, 16-second period, and clean cross-off winds. It's a smaller, more user-friendly size.

The 10th of September afternoon is also a good call, with a 6ft SSW swell and clean conditions. Crowds at Downtowns are listed as "sometimes," so keep your eyes peeled, but on a good day it's a classic.

Overall, the best of the best is the morning of Tuesday, September 1st. Get on it.

Rusty.

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