8th Street Jetty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks at 8th Street Jetty are going to test your patience. We’re looking at a long, flat stretch for most of the run, with only one real window of worthwhile surf, and it’s a long way off. You’ll want to mark your calendar for that one.

The first week is a write-off. From Monday the 24th through to the end of August, it’s tiny and messy. Swell heights are barely pushing 2ft to 3ft, with periods all over the shop, mostly in the 4 to 9 second range – that’s just wind chop, not real surf. The energy is weak, with values mostly low, like 23 to 97. Winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, which will chop up what little is there. Thursday the 27th has a risk of thunderstorms and a 12 mph onshore breeze, so that’s a definite skip. You’d be better off waxing your board for something else.

The gap stretches right through the first seven days. We get a little pulse on Monday the 31st, but it’s nothing to write home about – a 1ft swell with a long 19-second period but weak energy (70). The morning offshore breeze will make it glassy, but there’s just not enough power. Tuesday and Wednesday of that week see the energy pick up a bit – 186 to 379 – but the swell is still small and the wind turns cross-onshore or stronger, so the quality drops right off. This is where the forecast gets interesting for the patient ones.

Here’s the standout: Thursday the 3rd of September. That’s your day. The morning sees a 4ft SE swell with a 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 697. The wind is light offshore from the NW, so it’s going to be clean and lined up. This is proper groundswell, the kind that wraps around the jetty and makes it worth the paddle. Then the afternoon kicks up a gear: 5ft of SE swell, still 15-second period, and the energy just explodes to 2358 – that’s strong to very strong. But hold on, the wind freshens to 12 mph offshore from the WNW. That’s still offshore, but it’s a bit more push. This is the best on offer, no question. It’s pushing toward the bigger end, so it’s one for the advanced crew – a 5ft wave at a jetty can feel a lot bigger on the inside. Beginners should steer well clear.

The Friday after that, the 4th, has a decent 4ft swell hanging around but the energy drops back to 622 and the wind turns cross-offshore, so it’s still surfable but not as clean or powerful. After that, it starts to fade quickly. The weekend sees the swell drop back under 3ft, and by Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th, we’re back down to tiny slop – 1ft or less, and the energy is basically negligible (values in the teens and single digits). The run fades to nothing.

So, the takeaway? Don’t waste your time this week. Clear your schedule for Thursday, September 3rd. That’s the one true standout. It’s a long-range call, so don’t book time off work yet, but the models are showing something special. The water temperature is 77°, which is about a touch warmer than normal for late August – that's noticeable, so a warm suit or a rashie is all you’ll need. The 8th Street Jetty gets crowded, especially when it’s good, so expect plenty of company on that Thursday. It’s a beach/jetty setup, so the long period swell might make it break a bit straight – keep an eye on the banks. Still, for a few hours that day, it’ll be the best thing we’ve seen in weeks.

Alright, that’s the look. Keep your head up – a drought like this breaks eventually. And when it does, you’ll want to be on it.

Catch you in the water.

Rusty

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