Dumps Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it's Rusty here, and I've got a proper deep dive into the next couple of weeks for you. Let's get straight to it.

The big story here is a run of solid, consistent SW groundswell and mostly clean conditions. It’s gonna be a good stretch for anyone who knows what they're doing. The water’s sitting at 55°, which is almost five degrees colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a real shock to the system, so don't be shy with the wetsuit.

We kick off from Tuesday the 18th of August. The swell’s already pulsing. Tuesday morning you’re looking at a clean 7 ft wave from the WSW with a 12-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1894, and with a light cross-off breeze, Dumps will be holding its shape. By the afternoon, it pushes up to a meaty 10 ft from the SW. This is proper intermediate-to-expert territory now. Wednesday keeps that energy rolling: clean 8 ft in the morning, dropping slightly to 8 ft in the arvo, still with that clean cross-off wind.

Thursday the 20th is the real standout of this first week. Thursday morning you’ve got a thumping 10 ft SW groundswell (13 sec period) and the combined wave energy hits a whopping 3370. The wind is a clean cross-off. This is as good as it gets for experienced surfers at Dumps. The lineup will be well and truly working, but remember, it's an inconsistent break, so patience will pay off. The afternoon holds similar size but the wind gets a bit more zesty with a moderate breeze, so take the morning session.

Friday the 21st sees the swell easing, still a fun 7 ft in the morning but the wind switches to a light cross. It’s still surfable, but the quality drops. Saturday the 22nd is a write-off. Onshore wind and a massive 13 ft pulse in the afternoon – that’s too much juice and the wrong wind for a clean paddle. For kite surfers, that setup might look interesting, though. Sunday the 23rd bounces back nicely with a clean 10 ft SW groundswell and a light cross-off breeze. Another great day for the crew who know what they're doing.

After that, we get a brief lull on Monday the 24th with smaller 5 ft waves, before a fresh pulse arrives on Tuesday the 25th. This one is special: 8 ft from the SW with a very long 14-second period. The combined energy is strong at 2643, and the wind is light and cross-off. This is a proper long-period groundswell that will wrap into Dumps beautifully. That’s your second standout – an excellent choice for the experienced surfer. The glass-off on Wednesday the 26th afternoon with 6 ft and zero wind is a sneaky good session for anyone wanting some clean, manageable waves.

Looking further out, things get a bit wild. We hit another big pulse around Friday the 28th of August. Friday morning shows 10 ft with a massive 17-second period – that’s a very long period swell – and the combined energy is off the charts at 5828. The wind is cross-off, so it should be clean, but a swell that long and tall can wall up and close out at a spot like Dumps. It’s strictly for the experts. Saturday the 29th stays solid with another 10 ft afternoon pulse, but the wind is up.

Sunday the 30th is the real wildcard. You’ve got a massive 12 ft SW groundswell going completely glassy both morning and afternoon. The energy reading is huge – 4697 in the morning. That would be an epic, once-in-a-blue-moon session, but only if you have the skills and the big-wave gear. It’s genuinely dangerous for anyone else. Monday the 31st backs off a touch to a still-chunky 8 ft, glassy again – a real treat for the experts. The first few days of September keep the pulse alive with solid 7 ft to 12 ft swell, but the wind and conditions start to get a bit messy and a lot of that big stuff is just too much for the break.

To sum it up, the absolute best on offer are Thursday the 20th morning with that big clean 10 ft swell, and then Tuesday the 25th with the long-period 8 ft. Don't sleep on that glassy Sunday the 30th if you’re a charger. There are gaps of good surf in between, but those two days are the standouts.

Stay safe, respect the crowd, and honour the ocean.

Rusty.

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