East Runton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for East Runton is a real heartbreaker. The whole period is a write-off for decent waves, with not a single window where the conditions come together for a proper surf. Every single forecast slot gets a 'poor surf conditions' tag, and that’s no lie.

Looking at the first few days, you’ve got tiny, weak swell. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August see waves around 0.7ft to 2ft with a short, choppy period of just 6 to 7 seconds – that’s barely a ripple. The combined swell energy is a measly 5 to 18 units – flat out weak. On top of that, the wind is mostly cross-off or cross-on, not offering any clean, lined-up faces. Thursday the 20th is much the same story with a bit of rain and messy onshore winds.

Now, we see a bit of a pulse late on Friday the 21st of August, with the swell bumping up to 5ft to 5ft from the north. The combined energy even jumps to 246 units in the morning – moderate power for sure. But here's the kicker: the wind is howling straight onshore or cross-onshore, making it a choppy, blown-out mess. That 5ft is just ugly, not surfable. The period is still short at 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s all wind-slop with no punch.

From there, it’s a long, grim stretch. Saturday the 22nd through to the start of September is a dead zone of tiny waves (0.3ft to 4ft) and poor winds. You get some cross-off or offshore breezes, but the wave heights are just too small to get a ride. The combined energy often stays below 100 units – weak as dishwater. By Tuesday the 1st of September, we’re looking at near-gale force winds over 34 mph blowing straight onshore with waves barely breaking 0.7ft.

The only faint glimmer comes right at the very end, on Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September. We finally get a bit of size, with waves around 4ft to 4ft from the NNW and a slightly better period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a more interesting 199 to 238 units. The wind on the 2nd is a cross-off moderate breeze, so the surface would be clean. But even then, the wave comment is still 'poor surf conditions' – likely too fat and weak given the direction for this spot. It’s frustratingly close to something good, but not quite there.

Honestly, if you’re looking at this forecast, don’t bother with the paddle. With the swell so small and inconsistent, and the biggest pulses wrecked by onshore wind, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer on a big day, not for a surfer on a surfboard.

Keep your eyes on the charts – it tends not to stay this flat forever. But for now, this is one of those blank runs that’s just normal for the area when the swell direction and wind don't line up.

Rusty.

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