E-Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on the table at E-Bay.

Right off the bat, the first week or so is a bit of a write-off for decent waves. We’ve got swell running, but the wind is almost constantly on it or cross-onshore, and the conditions are labelled as poor or marginal right through from Sunday the 23rd to Tuesday the 25th. That S/SSW swell is hanging around, coming in between 3ft and 5ft, but with a moderate breeze from the SSE pushing onto the break and periods in the 14-19 second range, it’s not doing us any favours. The wave energy is strong, hitting 1325 on Sunday morning, but it’s messy.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday morning, August 26th. The wind goes glassy calm, and although the swell is only 3ft from the S with a 13-second period, it’s clean. The combined energy is still at 393, so it’s not weak, but it's not pumping either – just a small, clean option for a quiet session.

Things get seriously more interesting on Thursday, August 27th. Thursday morning is glassy again, with 3ft of SSW swell and a very long 19-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, with a combined energy of 969. It’s going to be clean as a whistle. But the standout is Thursday afternoon: still glassy, 5ft of SSW swell, 18-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1583. That’s strong, clean, lined-up swell for experienced surfers. The water temp is sitting at 85°, which is about average for this time of year, so no need for extra rubber. This is easily the best session on the cards – good size, perfect wind, and quality long-period swell. Just keep in mind, with a period over 15 seconds, the waves might be a bit straight on a beach setup, but at a reef break like E-Bay, it should hold nicely.

After that high point, the end of August and start of September fades back into marginal conditions. The wind shifts back onshore or cross-onshore, and while there’s still waist-to-chest high swell around (3ft to 4ft), the quality drops off. The periods stay long (15-18 seconds) but the wind and onshore direction ruin it.

Around Friday morning, September 4th, we get another brief window – glassy wind, 3ft of SSW swell, 14-second period. It’s clean, but small. The combined energy is only 267, so it’s a weak one. Not worth getting too excited about.

The rest of the outlook into the second week stays pretty quiet. There’s a bit of S swell on September 5th with 4ft, 14-second period and cross-onshore wind – again, just small and not super clean. The final few days trail off into tiny, poor conditions.

So to wrap it up: if you’re keen for a paddle, Thursday afternoon, August 27th is the clear standout – glassy, 5ft SSW swell with heaps of energy and very long period. That’s the one. Wednesday morning the 26th is a bonus clean session if you’re after something smaller. Don’t bother with the rest of the window unless you’re desperate to get wet.

Stay salty.
- Rusty

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