Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this is a tough forecast for Emerald Beach. The next 16 days are mostly a write-off for any decent surf, but don’t chuck the boards in the shed just yet. There’s a tiny window that might just give you a morning of something rideable, but it’s not the kind of forecast that gets you out of bed early.

The whole outlook is dominated by small, weak swell coming from the ENE. The water’s sitting at 66.9°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The issue is the wind. For the first week, it’s all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and even some strong onshore winds – making a mess of the tiny waves. The combined wave energy is mostly weak, with values like 42 (Friday the 7th) and 126 (Saturday the 8th afternoon), which is just rubbish.

The one and only standout, if you can call it that, is Saturday morning, August 8th. The swell is small, only 2.3ft from the ENE with a short period of 8 seconds, but the wind is offshore from the S at 9 mph. That’s clean. It’s a point break, so it can handle a bit of direction, and the offshore wind will make it glassy. The combined energy is only 90, so it’s weak, but for a quick paddle on a log or a funboard, it’s the best on offer. The break is fairly consistent, though it can get crowded, and with the optimum swell from the NE, this ENE direction is close enough to work.

After that, it’s grim. The 9th gets a little bump in size to 3.9ft, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, and the surf is poor. The next week is a desert – days of 1.3ft to 1.6ft swell and offshore winds that just don’t have enough energy behind them (energy values drop to 30-35). You’ll see clean conditions, but the waves are barely a ripple. The only later flicker is around Thursday, August 20th, when the swell pushes back to 3.3ft from the ENE with a short period, and the wind is clean cross-off. The energy hits 112, which is still weak, but it’s surfable. It’s nothing special, but if you’re desperate, it’s an option.

Honestly, if you’re an intermediate surfer, the small clean stuff on the 8th morning is your best bet. For beginners, that 2.3ft is fine, but the short period means it’ll be a bit weak. For experts, there’s nothing here worth paddling for. The beach-and-reef setup and the persistent small swell with strong cross-shore winds might actually make this spot more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some days.

Stay patient, mate. The forecast can always change.

Read more