Empty Lots Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. I’ve gotta be straight with you – this outlook for Empty Lots is a tough one. Over the next 16 days, there’s nothing I’d call a proper surf session. It’s a grim stretch where the conditions just refuse to line up. We’re looking at a real dry spell here.

It all kicks off on Wednesday, August 5th, with a weak 3ft swell from the ENE, barely 10 seconds between waves, and a persistent cross-shore wind around 12 mph. The water’s sitting at a warm 81°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, but that doesn’t help the surf. It’s messy, choppy, and frankly, not worth paddling out for. The combined swell energy is moderate at best (254), but it feels weak thanks to the wind.

Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are more of the same – tiny waves, 1ft to 2ft, from the SSW or SW, with cross-shore winds. You’d be floating more than surfing. Come Saturday the 8th, the wind picks up to 22 mph, and while there’s a bit of energy in the water (564), the swell is still pathetic and lumpy.

Sunday the 9th offers up the biggest swell of the early period at 5ft from the E, but it’s short-period (7 seconds) and cross-shore wind is cranking at 19 mph. It’s a wind-blown mess. The energy is moderate (645) but with that short period, the waves will be weak and crumbly. Not a standout.

From Monday the 10th through Wednesday the 12th, we see SSE and S swells start to roll in with longer periods (14–18 seconds), bringing moderate wave energy (497–1068). But the wind stays cross-shore, and the swell heights stay small at 2ft–4ft. On Wednesday the 12th, the energy hits a peak of 1068, but it’s still only a marginal call at best – the wind ruins it.

The second week doesn’t get any better. From Thursday August 13th to Sunday August 16th, the swell stays small (3ft–6ft) and winds ramp up to 25 mph from the ENE. Those long-period S and SSE swells (13–16 seconds) have some promise for shape, but with strong cross winds and lumpy chop, it’s just not surfable. The energy gets up to 923, but it’s wasted.

Monday August 17th sees the biggest swell of the whole forecast at 7ft from the ENE, but the period is only 8 seconds, and the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 19–22 mph. That’s heavy, chunky, and ugly – more of a wrestling match than a ride. Not for beginners, and even experts won’t enjoy it.

We limp through the rest of the week with tiny 2ft to 4ft swell, poor wind, and nothing changing. By Thursday August 20th, the wind drops to 9 mph, but the swell is only 2ft with a 15-second period – that’s a lot of waiting for nothing.

Honestly, this is a blank run. There’s not a single day where I’d say “go for it.” The wind is always cross-shore, the swell is either too small or too short-period, and the quality is poor across the board. With the wind staying strong and the surf being mostly weak and messy, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Just keep an eye on the forecasts – things can turn around.

Rusty.

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