Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s happening at Emerald Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, don’t expect much for a while. The first few days are pretty flat and messy. Friday the 21st is a write-off – onshore junk, barely a ripple. Saturday the 22nd cleans up a bit with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 3ft from the NE and the energy is weak (80). It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. Sunday the 23rd offers a little offshore wind, with the same 2ft to 3ft stuff from the ENE, period around 8 seconds, and the combined energy stays low (62). Still very ordinary.

We’ve got a run of poor surf lasting through to the middle of the following week. Monday the 24th morning is actually glassy with 3ft, but the energy is still weak (72) – a bit of a tease. Then it goes downhill again with onshores and chop. Tuesday the 25th is a mess with strong cross-onshore winds and messy 3ft to 4ft waves. The energy jumps to 221 Tuesday afternoon, but it’s all windslop.

Wednesday the 26th morning is the first real standout. The wind goes glassy, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the NE, period 8 seconds, with moderate wave energy (215). The forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s your best bet for a clean, fun session in the first week. Get out there early because the afternoon turns to rubbish with a risk of thunderstorms and cross-onshore wind.

The rest of the week is a bit of a mixed bag. Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th have offshore winds, but the swell is around 3ft to 4ft, and the energy drops off. It’s clean, but small. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are nothing special – onshore winds and choppy conditions.

Now, toward the end of the month and into September, things start to look more promising. Monday the 31st of August morning is glassy again, with a fun 4ft from the ENE, period 6 seconds, and good energy (206). That’s another solid window. Then Tuesday the 1st of September brings strong offshore winds from the SSW, but the swell is only 4ft, and the energy is high (228). The waves will be clean, but the wind is fresh – more of a challenge.

The real highlight of the whole outlook lands on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning delivers a 4ft E swell with a 10-second period, moderate offshore wind from the S, and strong wave energy (245). That’s a proper groundswell with good shape, clean conditions, and enough push for a fun session. The optimum swell direction for Emerald Beach is NE, and this one comes from the east, so it’s a good angle. Crowds are possible here, so keep that in mind.

Thursday the 3rd of September morning is also a beauty – glassy, 4ft from the ENE, 10-second period, and strong energy (240). That’s another standout. The afternoon turns to onshore slop, but the morning session is worth chasing.

After that, the swell fades out again. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of September are small with onshore winds, and the energy drops back to around 140. Nothing to write home about.

So, your two best windows: Wednesday the 26th of August morning for the glassy conditions and the first decent swell, and Wednesday the 2nd of September morning for the cleanest, most energetic groundswell of the period. The water temp is sitting around 20°, which is about average for this time of year, so no need for a thick suit.

Rusty.

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