Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, it’s a pretty quiet start to the outlook. There’s nothing really worth paddling out for until next week, so take the early days off. The first proper glimmer of surf shows up around August 17th, but even then it’s a bit of a messy affair.

Okay, for the weekend of the 16th and into the 17th, things finally wake up a little. On Monday the 17th, Emerald Beach (a point break) will see a bump of swell – around 8ft coming from the SE, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy of all swells directed here is strong (567). Honestly though, that short period and cross-offshore wind from the SE (20 km/h) mean it’s gonna be lumpy and hard to love. It’s marginal at best, and at over 8ft it’s expert territory only, so if you’re not skilled, stay out of the water.

Things settle a bit for Tuesday the 18th. Swell drops to 5ft from the E, still with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (253). You’ve got some decent winds – light breeze from the SE in the morning, glassing off later. It’s surfable, clean, but nothing to write home about. The crowd factor? Emerald Beach does get busy sometimes, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

The real standout – and the one to circle on the calendar – is Sunday the 23rd of August. Early morning, it’s glassy with a light S breeze, and you’ll have a clean 4ft swell from the E, period 10 seconds. That’s solid groundswell energy, and the combined energy of all swells directed here is strong (338). It’s a point break, so that longer period will wrap in nicely, and with offshore wind in the morning, the waves will be clean and lined up. Water temp is around 67°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year. This is your best shot at a proper session – get on it.

A few days later, on Monday the 24th, there’s a fresh offshore SSW wind (30 km/h / 19 mph) and a 3ft swell from the ENE. Period is long at 10 seconds (combined energy 201). It’s clean but a bit small and the wind is strong, so it’ll be more of a challenge than a joy for most.

Overall, the first week is a write-off. There’s a gap from now until the 17th with no real recommendations. After that, you get a couple of sneaky clean windows, with Sunday the 23rd being the clear winner. The 21st and 22nd also have some okay windows, but nothing that will blow your mind.

Rusty.

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