Dunes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and here’s the word on the surf over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow starter, but there are a couple of absolutely ripping windows on the table if you’re patient.

Forget the first day or so – the real journey starts in the middle of the week. The main game is Dunes, a consistent reef setup exposed to south-west swell. The water’s sitting at a lovely 76°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – you won’t be needing a full suit just yet.

Tuesday morning (25 August) has some small, clean lines pushing in with a swell of 4ft from the SW, a long 13-second period, and fresh offshore SE wind holding it up at 15 mph. The combined energy is moderate (411), but it’s a nice gentle reintroduction after a flat spell.

The standout comes early on Wednesday morning (26 August). The wind goes glassy, dead calm, zero wind, and the swell holds at 3ft from the SW, period stretching to 14 seconds. Combined energy is 459 (moderate). It’s going to be as smooth as a mirror at Dunes.

Next, Thursday morning (27 August) has a real kick in it – 6ft of WSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy jumps to 1970 (strong). It’s a proper swell for experienced surfers only at that size – too much power and heft for beginners. Winds are light and cross-off, keeping it clean.

Friday morning (28 August) sees the swell dropping to 5ft but holding a decent 14-second period, with a fresh offshore SSE wind at 22 mph. Combined energy is 1031 (moderate to strong). It’ll be clean but windy, and the energy is starting to wane.

After that, the onset fades. Saturday (29 August) and Sunday (30 August) mornings offer small, cleanish windows but nothing to race out of bed for. Sunday morning has a very long 18-second period, but only 3ft of swell (combined energy 561, moderate). It’s a little too drawn out for the beach, but Dunes being a reef should still milk a bit out of it.

Monday morning (31 August) and Tuesday morning (1 September) are the next real highlights. Monday sees 4ft of SW swell at 16 seconds, with light cross-off S wind at 6 mph. Combined energy hits 1042 (moderate). Tuesday is even bigger at 5ft from the WSW, 16-second period, combined energy 1214 (strong). Again, that’s pushing into the expert zone. Both mornings are clean and should fire.

From there, the second week (2 September onward) goes patchy. There’s a decent, clean window on Thursday morning (3 September) with 4ft and a 13-second period, but the energy is dropping (590). The following days fade further – small swell, cross-shore winds, and messy afternoons. By 8 and 9 September, we’re looking at tiny 3ft to 4ft waves with only moderate to weak energy (226 to 386). The last few days are basically a bust, with poor conditions and onshore or cross-onshore breezes.

The real winners here are Wednesday morning (26 August) for the glassy glass and Thursday morning (27 August) for the size and power – if you’ve got the skills. Tuesday morning (1 September) is another big, clean morning for the experienced crew.

Rusty

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