East Runton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ll level with ya – this 16-day stretch at East Runton is a tough one. We’ve got a long gap of near-flat, junk surf to start, before a couple of windows pop up that might just be worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at 19°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a solid two to three degrees above average, so you can get away with a thinner suit.

First up, the outlook until early September is grim. From Saturday the 29th of August right through to Tuesday the 8th of September, we’re looking at tiny, weak swell – most days showing less than 3 ft and combined energy barely cracking double digits (6 to 38). Winds are mostly cross-off or offshore, which would be nice if there was any wave to surf, but there isn’t. A few sessions have a bit of clean face, but you’d be scratching for a ride. It’s a flat spell, plain and simple.

Now, things start to stir a little on Tuesday morning the 8th of September. We get a pulse of 5 ft swell from the NNW with moderate energy (170) and light offshore wind from the WSW. That’s a surfable wave, but honestly, conditions are pretty ordinary. The period is short at 6 seconds, so it’ll be soft and crumbly. It’s not a standout, but if you’re desperate, there’s a chance for a few grovelly ones.

The best of the whole outlook comes on Saturday the 12th of September. Saturday morning, we’ve got 6 ft swell from the NW, a period of 6 seconds and combined energy of 206 – that’s moderate energy. Wind is light offshore from the SSW, meaning clean, open faces. This is the pick of the bunch for bigger swells, but at 6 ft, it’s pushing above beginner territory. It’s still surfable for most intermediates though. The afternoon holds 5 ft from the NNW with 217 energy and moderate offshore wind. This is the day to pencil in.

One thing to note – the break at East Runton is a beach setup, pretty exposed to the NNE direction, and it’s fairly consistent but can get crowded sometimes. The optimum swell direction here is NNE, so the NW and NNW swells we see are a little off-angle, but still workable. Keep in mind the short period (6 seconds) means these won’t have the power or shape of a groundswell – expect shorter, lumpier lines rather than clean walls.

For the rest of the second week, from the 13th onward, the swell backs off again to 3 ft or less with dropping energy. Nothing else worth chasing.

So the call: if you’ve got a window, target Saturday the 12th of September for the best chance at a few waves. The long gap before that is a write-off – but that one day has some moderate punch and clean wind. Keep it in your sights.

Rusty.

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