Downtowns Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what we’ve got coming up.

We’ve got a solid run of surf on the horizon, starting Friday the 21st of August and rolling through the whole 16-day window without a gap. This is a reef setup that’s fairly consistent for the area, and we’re looking at a lot of clean, glassy windows if you time it right. The water’s sitting at a warm 80°, which is about average for this time of year.

The main standout is Downtowns, a fairly exposed advanced reef break with an optimum swell from the SW. The campaign kicks off Friday afternoon (21st August) with some serious energy – 8 ft of glassy, long-period groundswell out of the SW at 17 seconds. The combined swell energy is strong to very strong at 3110, and with that ESE wind going glass, the surface is going to be perfect. This is the peak of the first week for sure, but it’s advanced-only territory because the size is already up there.

The second true standout looks to be Tuesday the 1st of September. By the afternoon, we see a clean 7 ft SW groundswell with a period of 17 seconds and glassy conditions from an ESE breeze. The combined energy is pushing 3860, making it another powerful session. The morning before that is messy with cross-shore breeze, but the afternoon glass-off is the one to aim for.

Overall, the whole run has a lot of good wind and swell alignment, with plenty of afternoons going glassy. The mornings will often have a little cross-shore ripple, but nothing too choppy. The swell drops off a little around the middle of the second week, but then picks up again going into September with more strong SW groundswells. Keep an eye on Wednesday the 2nd of September morning for a big 8 ft SW swell at 17 seconds, but the cross-shore wind will mess it up a bit – the afternoon will be glassy and clean again, so wait for that window.

Don’t expect any easy rides for beginners here – most of this run is over 5 ft, and those 8 ft days are strictly for the experienced crew. The long-period swells (over 15 seconds) mean the waves will have plenty of energy and shape, with longer lulls between sets. At a reef, that’s a blessing.

No other breaks on the list, so this is the one show in town. It’s a good one.

Rusty.

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