Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the only game in town for the next couple of weeks.

The bulk of the action is all at Dunes, a reef setup. The first few days are a bit of a slow burner, but we’ve got some real windows of quality coming through. The standout sessions are the Tuesday morning, 18th of August, and the Thursday morning, 20th of August. Those are the ones to circle.

The water is sitting at about 74°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

We start off on Monday afternoon, the 17th. It’s a bit of a write-off with a 5ft SW swell, but a cross-shore wind from the SW and moderate energy (938) has things messy. Not worth paddling out for.

Come Tuesday morning, the 18th, and we’re in business. The swell has bumped up to a clean 5ft from the SW, with a solid 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is light offshore from the SE, so it’s going to be glassy. The energy is moderate (1471). This is easily the best session on offer. That reef is going to be firing with those long-period lines.

By Tuesday afternoon, the swell jumps to 7ft from the WSW, but the wind swings onshore from the WNW. The energy is strong (2581), but it’s too big for the break and the wind is rubbish. Move on.

Wednesday morning, the 19th, still has that 7ft WSW swell with clean cross-offshore wind from the E. The energy is strong (2128), but again, it’s pushing past the 7ft mark. For experienced surfers only at this size. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 6ft, but the wind goes cross-on and light. Not great.

Thursday morning, the 20th, is the second standout. A solid 5ft SW swell, with a 15-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the SE at 16 mph. Moderate energy (1161), but the conditions are going to be perfect, clean waves. The wind is a bit breezy, but it’s offshore, so it’s a goer.

Thursday afternoon has a 5ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-offshore and the energy is moderate (1271). It’s okay, but not as good as the morning.

Friday morning, the 21st, has a smaller 5ft SW swell with a gentle offshore from the SE. Energy is moderate (976). It’s surfable but not a standout. The afternoon turns to junk with a cross-on wind.

From Saturday, the 22nd, through to Tuesday, the 25th, the swell drops to 3ft to 4ft. The wind is mostly cross-offshore or offshore, but the energy is weak to moderate (421 to 832). The waves are small and weak. It’s a flat spell, about 3 to 4 days of nothing exciting.

Wednesday morning, the 26th, brings a nice pulse back. A 5ft SW swell with a 17-second period and a moderate offshore wind from the SSE. Energy is moderate (1098). It’s clean and the period is long, so the reef will be working nicely. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore wind.

Thursday, the 27th, is small and average. Friday morning, the 28th, is small but clean with a 4ft SW swell and light cross-offshore wind. Not a standout.

Saturday morning, the 29th, is worth a mention. A 5ft WSW swell, with a 16-second period, and a light cross-offshore wind from the ENE. Energy is moderate (1230). The afternoon gets a cross-on wind, so it’s a morning session.

Now, here’s a real interesting one. Sunday morning, the 30th of August. The swell is only 3ft from the WSW, but the period is a massive 21 seconds. That’s some very long-period groundswell. The energy is moderate (1430). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the S. It’s clean, but that period is so long it might be a bit too straight for the beach break if it were a beach, but Dunes is a reef, so it should handle it well. The waves will be fat and walled-up, but still clean. Worth a look if you’ve got a log.

The end of the window, Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September, sees a return of bigger swell. 6ft to 7ft WSW swell, with strong energy (2216, 2316). But the wind is strong and cross-offshore or fresh offshore. It’s going to be big and bumpy, only for the experts.

Overall, the best bets are the Tuesday morning, 18th of August, and the Thursday morning, 20th of August. The rest is a mix of small, clean sessions or bigger, messier conditions. Keep an eye on that Sunday the 30th for something weird and clean.

Rusty.

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