Fausse Passe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The first decent surf showing up is on Friday afternoon, 14th August, but that’s a pretty marginal offering. The swell is coming in at 5 feet from the SSW, but the period is short at 8 seconds, so it’s mostly windswell, fairly weak in terms of energy (778). The wind is a cross-shore from the south at 15 mph, which will put a bit of a chop on the surface. For a spot like Fausse Passe (reef), it’s just not looking clean enough to get excited about.

Saturday morning, 15th August, is more of the same: 5 feet, 9-second period, cross-shore winds. The afternoon sees the swell bump up slightly to 6 feet, still with a cross-shore breeze. The wave energy is building (898), but it’s still a messy, cross-shore deal. Not a standout.

Sunday, 16th August, is where things get interesting. The morning brings a much longer period groundswell of 16 seconds, pushing 5 feet from the SSW. The combined energy jumps to 1625, which is solid. The caveat is the wind—still a cross-shore from the south at 15 mph. That’s going to mess with the shape. The afternoon gets windier (22 mph from the SSE) and delivers a lumpy, cross-chop surface (1858 energy). For a reef, you want it glassy, not lumpy.

Monday, 17th August, the wind finally shifts to a cross-offshore from the SE, blowing at 25 mph. That’s a strong breeze, but it’ll clean the surface up. The swell is 6 feet from the SSW, with a 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy (2074). The set waves will have some punch, and the longer period means good shape for a reef break. The water is a warm 73°, which is about average for this time of year. This is a solid option, but the wind is strong, so it’ll be a bit of a work-out.

Tuesday, 18th August, is our standout. We’re looking at 8 feet of swell from the south, with a 15-second period on the morning. The combined energy is massive at 5834. That’s a lot of power. The wind is cross-off from the ESE at 25 mph (strong breeze), keeping the surface clean. This is big, powerful, and clean. For experts. The afternoon swell drops to 8 feet with a 12-second period, energy drops to 3097, but it’s still big and clean. If you’re an advanced surfer, this is your window.

Wednesday, 19th August, the swell starts to back off. Morning shows 7 feet from the SSE, 9-second period, clean cross-off wind. Energy is 1317. It’s still surfable, but the shorter period will make it hollower and less consistent. The afternoon drops to 6 feet, and the rain showers come in.

Thursday, 20th August, is a fade. 6 feet of swell, short period (8 seconds), clean cross-off wind. Gets the job done for a mellow session, but nothing special.

From Friday, 21st August, through to the end of the month, we hit a long dry spell. The swell drops to 2 feet or less, and the energy readings are all below 200. The wind is offshore and cross-off, but there’s simply no swell to work with. The water stays around 73°, but the wave heights are too small for any real surf. The last few days of August show a slight pulse around 5 feet on the 25th and 27th, but the wind is near gale force (31 mph), and the energy levels are moderate (663), but the conditions are marked as poor. The long period swells (16 seconds) on the 26th and 27th will be too straight for a beach break like this, and the winds are strong.

So, the pick of the forecast is Tuesday, 18th August. Big, clean, powerful south swell. Experts only. Sunday, 16th and Monday, 17th are also worth a look for the groundswell, but the wind is a headache.

Signing off,
Rusty.

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