Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf’s up... or maybe not just yet. We’re looking at a pretty flat and messy run for the next couple of weeks, with very few windows that’ll get your heart pumping. But there is one little glimmer at the end of the tunnel worth keeping an eye on.

The first real chance to get wet is on Tuesday, August 18th. Emerald Beach (New South Wales) will have some 5ft surf coming from the ESE with a short, junky 7-second period. The wind is light and cross-offshore, which will keep it reasonably clean, and the energy is weak at 343. Water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about average for this time of year. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the best we’ll see for a while. Tuesday afternoon drops off a bit as the wind goes more cross, making things less appealing.

Wednesday the 19th morning brings a slight bump in size to 5ft, but the period stretches out a touch to 10 seconds. Still, the cross-shore wind messes with the shape, and the energy is moderate at 520. It’s a choppy, mediocre morning. Afternoon drops to 4ft and gets worse.

From Thursday the 20th through to Monday the 25th, we’re in a hole. The swell stays small, the winds turn onshore and get gusty, and the periods are short. It’s basically blown-out dribble. Thursday sees 4ft to 5ft of junky swell with onshore winds. Friday is smaller and messy. The weekend isn't much better—small, weak, and mostly onshore, though Saturday the 22nd morning will be glassy but tiny at 3ft, and Sunday the 23rd morning has a bit of offshore wind, but again, only 3ft on tap.

The following week, from the 25th onwards, doesn’t offer much either. There are some glassy mornings, like Wednesday the 26th and Saturday the 29th, but the swell is tiny. The periods finally stretch to 8-9 seconds, but there’s just not enough power.

Now, the one standout in this whole period is Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The wind swings around to a light SSE cross-offshore, the surf bumps up to a clean 3ft, and the period is a more respectable 9 seconds from the NE. The energy jumps up to 219, which is moderate. It’s not huge, but it’s the cleanest and most promising conditions we’ll get in this entire stretch. It’s that one window where everything comes together, and it’ll be worth the wait. It’s a promising signal, but a long way off, so don't book your flights yet.

The rest of the run into September is flat. There are a few clean mornings with offshore winds, but the swell is down to 1ft or 1ft, which is nothing. You’re better off finding something else to do.

Bottom line: it’s a pretty bleak run for the most part, with a long stretch of poor options from the 20th to the 25th. But that Saturday the 29th afternoon has a little magic about it. Keep an eye on that one. Otherwise, this is a time for gear maintenance and patience.

Rusty.

Read more