E-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at E-Bay over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 85°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there. Now, the bad news: we’ve got a long stretch of pretty average to poor conditions ahead. The first week, from Sunday the 16th right through to Saturday the 22nd, is mostly a write-off. The wind is persistently cross-on or onshore, with those SSE breezes chopping things up, and the swell quality is just not there. The combined energy is moderate (626) on Sunday morning, but it’s a messy 4ft S swell with a long 15-second period, which for a reef setup like E-Bay can mean it’s breaking a bit too straight. The wave comments are all calling it marginal or poor, and the scores back that up. It’s a real frustrating start.

Things start to look a bit more interesting around Wednesday the 18th and into Thursday the 19th. The swell picks up significantly, with heights hitting 5ft to 7ft. The combined energy gets strong, hitting 1319 on Tuesday morning and climbing to 3029 by Wednesday afternoon. That’s proper energy. The wind is still an issue though – mostly onshore or cross-on, so it’s not clean. This is solid, powerful swell (16-19 second periods) but it’s being blown out. For a strong surfer who doesn’t mind a bit of chop, Wednesday afternoon with 7ft S swell and that 3029 energy reading is the biggest offering of the period, but it’s not a polished gem.

Now, if you want the standout, you have to look all the way to Thursday the 27th of August. That morning, the forecast flips. We get glassy conditions – a true 3 mph SSE breeze that’s described as “glassy”. The swell is 4ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, giving a combined energy of 568. That’s moderate energy, but with the wind off and the reef holding it, this is the cleanest window in the entire 16-day run. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s not a huge day, but it’s the only one where everything lines up. The wind is the magic ingredient here. The rest of that day and the days after fall back into onshore and marginal form.

So, the honest truth: for the next 16 days, E-Bay is mostly a waiting game. The first week is a total dud. The middle of the second week has decent sized swell, but it’s not clean. Your one true shot at something special is the morning of Thursday the 27th. Mark it down, but don’t hold your breath on the rest.

Rusty.

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