Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, talkin’ about the surf at Emerald Beach over the next couple of weeks.

We’re lookin’ at a bit of a slow start, with a few sessions that are just barely surfable, but the real magic is gonna show up in the second week. The early days are a bit of a write-off for quality, but keep the faith – there’s a gem or two coming.

Thursday morning, the 20th, has a surprise window. The swell’s a weak 5ft from the ESE, with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is only 224 – weak. But, the wind is glassy from the NW, so it’s dead clean. The water temp is 68°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, anomaly just -0.5°F. That’s about average. The waves will be small and weak, but you might snag a few fun ones. The rest of Thursday and all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are a mess – onshore winds, poor surf.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th? Forget it. Strong onshore winds and poor conditions. There’s a bit of a pulse on the 24th afternoon with 122 combined energy, but it’s all onshore chop.

We get a break from the wind on Wednesday morning the 26th – offshore SSW breeze at 16 mph, with a 3ft swell from the ENE. The combined energy is 127 (moderate), and it’s clean. It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Then… hold onto your board. Saturday morning, the 29th of August, is a proper standout. Glassy conditions, wind from the NE at 3 mph, and a 4ft swell from the NE with a 9-second period. The combined energy jumps to 218 (moderate). That’s clean, small, and fun. The swell direction is NE, and this spot loves a NE swell – it’s the optimum. Expect a few clean lines at the point, and it’s a point break, so it’ll handle that short period better than a beach. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

After that, it’s a bit of a chop fest again until Tuesday morning, the 1st of September. Dead calm, glassy, and a 4ft ENE swell (9 sec period) with combined energy of 271 (moderate). That’s a solid morning for a paddle.

But the real standout – the absolute best on offer – is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. A 5ft ENE swell, 10-second period, combined energy of 588 (strong), and a light offshore/cross-off breeze from the S at 6 mph. This is clean, strong, and has proper shape. The period is over 8 seconds, so it’s got some punch, but not so long it’ll close out. For a point break like Emerald Beach, this is gonna be a ripper of a session. For experienced surfers, this is the one. It’s a bit more than 5ft, so it’s a step up from beginner territory, but it’s not too big for intermediates.

The week after that fades out with onshore winds and smaller swell.

So, bottom line: Thursday morning the 20th for a glassy, small session, and then hold out for Saturday morning the 29th of August and Tuesday morning the 1st of September. But the winner is Wednesday morning, the 2nd of September. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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