Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this stretch is a bit of a tough one for Empty Lots. The forecast starts off with a fair bit of energy in the water, but the conditions are just messy. We’ve got a solid swell coming in from the east on Saturday, 1st August, around 8ft, but it’s being hammered by a strong cross-shore wind at 28 mph, making it a cross-chop nightmare. The combined energy is strong at 1223, but that’s not doing us any favours with the wind state. Not a single wave worth paddling for on the weekend.

Things ease up a bit heading into Monday, 3rd August, with the swell dropping to around 4ft, but we’re still dealing with a moderate cross-shore breeze. The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year—nothing unusual there. The whole first week is a write-off for decent surf; the wind just won’t play ball.

Then we get a little glimmer on Tuesday, 4th August, in the afternoon. The swell drops to 4ft from the east, but the wind goes glassy—dead calm, just a slight air. That’s a rare treat for Empty Lots, and the period bumps up to 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate at 462, and with clean, glassy conditions, this is the standout window. It won’t be big, maybe waist-high, but it’ll be smooth and fun. The break is a reef, so that longer period swell should wrap in nicely. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye out.

The next real chance comes on Wednesday, 5th August, in the afternoon. We’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze, swell around 3ft from the east-northeast, and clean conditions. Still small, but it’ll be workable. After that, the forecast goes downhill again. Wind picks up, and the swell gets confused—swinging between short-period east slop and long-period south-southwest groundswells, but the wind is just too strong and cross-shore. By the middle of the second week, around 12th August, we see a bump in energy from the south at 5ft, with a long 17-second period, but the wind is still cross or cross-onshore, so it’s lumpy and choppy.

Honestly, if you’re a surfer, the only day worth paddling out is Tuesday afternoon, 4th August, for that glassy, clean session. The rest of the 16-day window is mostly poor surf conditions or marginal at best. A few days in the second week have some energy, but the wind spoils it. For anything over 5ft, the wind is just too messy, so those bigger swells are a pass. If you’re into kiting, the bigger, windier days might be more interesting, but for paddle surfing, it’s a lean run.

Rusty.

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