Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on Dunes for the next couple of weeks.

First up, a quick note on the water. It’s sitting at 74°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year – nothing to get excited about, just normal.

The early part of the forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems to chase. The overall pattern starts with a solid, long-period groundswell from the SW that’s packing moderate energy (898), and it cleans right up to start. Friday morning, the 21st of August, is calling your name. We’ve got glassy conditions with a light 3 mph wind, and 5 ft of SW swell with a 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and it’s going to be clean. The energy is moderate (898), and it’s a reef break, so that long period will wrap in nicely. This is a standout.

The weekend looks a bit touch and go. Saturday morning the 22nd has glassy conditions again and a clean 4 ft SW swell, but the energy is dropping (671). Still a good session if you’re keen. Saturday afternoon goes a bit ugly with a cross-onshore wind that’ll chop it up. Sunday the 23rd sees a clean cross-offshore wind, but the swell is dropping to 4 ft and the energy is fading (524). It’s light, but maybe worth a paddle if you’re desperate.

Monday the 24th morning is a real highlight. We’ve got a clean offshore wind from the SE, a tidy 3 ft SW swell, and a long period of 16 seconds. The energy is moderate (542). This is another one to circle.

Tuesday the 25th morning stays clean with offshore winds and 4 ft swell, but the period drops to 13 seconds, and the energy is a bit weaker (416). It’s still good, just not as punchy.

From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the month, the surf gets a bit messy, with a lot of cross-offshore and cross-onshore winds hitting the windows. There’s a big spike of energy on the 27th of August (Thursday morning) with a 6 ft WSW swell and a 17-second period, and the energy is strong (1924). The wind is offshore, so it’ll be clean. But that’s a decent size for Dunes, and the period is very long, so it might be a bit too much for the less experienced. It’s for the confident crew.

The real monster shows up on the 1st of September (Tuesday). We’re looking at a 7 ft WSW swell with an 18-second period and very strong energy (2654). The morning has cross-offshore winds, but honestly, this is going to be too big for Dunes. It’s only for experts, and even then, it might be a handful.

The best bet in the second week is Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. The swell drops to 7 ft, still big, but the wind is offshore and light, and the energy is still strong (1809). The period is 15 seconds. This is excellent for experienced surfers and is the standout of the second week.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see the swell dropping, but the winds are strong and offshore. It’ll be clean, but the energy is dropping off. Saturday the 5th of September morning brings back a clean 5 ft SW swell with moderate energy (956) and offshore winds – a solid finish to the run.

So, to sum it up, the best of the best is Friday morning the 21st of August with that glassy, long-period 5 ft SW swell. The other big one to plan for is Wednesday morning the 2nd of September for the experienced crew. Keep an eye on the 27th of August too, if you’re confident.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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