Emerald Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – the next sixteen days are lookin' pretty grim. We've got a real flat spell on the way, with only a few windows of barely surfable waves. The water temps are sitting around 68° at Emerald Beach, which is pretty average for this time of year.

Let's start with this week. Wednesday afternoon (26th August) is a total write-off. We've got a risk of thunderstorms and weak 4ft swell from the ENE with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the SE at 12 mph, but the energy is weak (173), and the conditions are just plain poor.

Thursday morning (27th August) offers a tiny glimmer. We've got 3ft surf from the ENE, period of 8 seconds, and the wind is coming from the south at 12 mph, which is offshore. It's surfable, but very ordinary, with weak energy (98). The wind turns cross-off in the afternoon, and the surf remains poor.

Friday morning (28th August) is the only real standout in this whole stretch. The wind is dead calm, glassy as anything, and we've got a clean 2ft swell from the ENE. The energy is weak (52), but with that glassy surface, it's the best you'll get. It's tiny, but it's rideable. The afternoon turns cross-onshore and choppy, so get out early.

After that, it's a long, slow decline. Saturday morning (29th August) has offshore winds and 2ft waves, but it's still just ordinary. The swell drops to 1ft by Sunday (30th August), and energy levels are down around 50. The whole week from 31st August to 5th September is a desert of tiny, poor surf. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and the swell barely gets above 2ft.

Then, on Sunday morning, 6th September, we get a bit of a pulse. The swell jumps to 5ft from the NNE, but the period is short (7 seconds), and the energy is moderate (232). The wind is a light cross from the WNW at 6 mph. The comment calls it "marginal," so it's not great, but it's the biggest surf of the whole forecast. The afternoon sees 4ft from the same direction. Nothing to get excited about, but it's something.

After that, from 7th September onwards, the surf fades to nothing again. The energy drops to 46 and below, and the swell is under 2ft. The wind is onshore or cross-off, but there's just no wave energy to work with.

So, here's the reality: the best option is Friday morning, 28th August, at Emerald Beach. It's a point break, exposed to the NE swell, and though it's only 2ft from the ENE, the glassy conditions make it the cleanest wave of the fortnight. The water temp is about average. It's a spot that's fairly consistent, but this is a lean run. For beginners, the swell is tiny, so it's fine. For everyone else, it's a small-wave day. The next possible window is that Sunday, 6th September, but that's a week and a half away and the conditions are marginal.

Signing off, Rusty.

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