E-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s talk about this stretch coming up at E-Bay. It’s a tricky one, to be honest. The next couple of weeks are going to be a real mixed bag, and for most of it, we’re dealing with messy conditions.

Right from the get-go, starting Thursday the 20th of August, we’ve got some solid swell in the water – a long-period 16-second groundswell from the SSW pushing through at about 6ft. The energy is there, with a combined swell energy of (1949). But here’s the bummer: it’s all onshore wind. That southeasterly breeze is going to put a chop on it, and the reports are calling it marginal. Not the clean, lined-up waves we dream about. This pattern hangs around for days. We see that SSW swell staying in the 4ft to 6ft range right through to the 24th, but with that persistent onshore wind, it’s just going to be lumpy and hard to enjoy.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd has that risk of thunderstorms too, which doesn’t help the vibe. The swell does start to drop off from the 25th of August, and we hit a flat spell. From Tuesday the 25th through the end of the month, the surf is poor, with heights dropping below 3ft. That’s a solid few days where you can leave the board in the car. We do get a little spike on the 27th with a very long 19-second period swell under 3ft, but it's coming from the south with a cross-onshore wind. Not going to do much at this reef.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Keep your eyes on the end of the month. The 31st of August into the 1st of September, there’s a pulse of bigger, stronger SSW groundswell. We’re looking at a solid 7ft on the 31st afternoon, with a 19-second period and combined energy climbing up to (2921). That’s a serious amount of power. The wind is still onshore or cross-onshore on the 31st morning, but by the afternoon it does look lighter. That is the standout potential in this outlook, but it’s a whole week and a half away, so treat it as promising but not locked in.

Then, heading into the first week of September, things finally clean up. On Wednesday the 2nd of September, we get a bit of magic. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, swinging light from the WSW. The swell is a clean 5ft from the SSW. That is the best you’re going to see in this 16-day run. Thursday the 3rd looks good, too, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE in the morning and 4ft swell. That’ll give you some clean, workable lines at this advanced reef break. But you have to know, E-Bay is an exposed reef, and the optimum direction is from the west. This SSW swell isn’t perfect for it, so it won’t be at its absolute best, but with that glassy wind, it’ll still be worth a paddle. Expect some crowds, as it says it gets busy sometimes.

The rest of that first week in September drops off fast, with surf fading back below 3ft and onshore winds returning by the 4th.

So, the advice is: be patient through the first week and a half of slop. The real highlight is that Wednesday the 2nd, with the glassy afternoon. The big swell on the 31st is the other one to watch, but the wind is the question. For most of this, the onshore breeze is a real problem. For a break like this, it might honestly be more interesting for the kite crew on those windier days than for us paddlers.

Stay hopeful, check the charts, and I’ll see you in the water when it cleans up.

Rusty

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