Fingal Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up—this outlook for the next 16 days is a tough one. The only break we’ve got in the mix is Fingal Bay, and to be honest, the surf doesn’t really fire until the very tail end of the window. There’s a long stretch of ordinary to poor conditions before we see anything worth paddling out for.

We start with Thursday the 13th of August and straight away it’s ugly—6ft southerly swell, but that’s getting hammered by a 12 mph southerly onshore breeze. The wave energy is moderate at 909, but the surface is chopped to bits. That sets the tone for the next week. Friday the 14th through to the 22nd of August is a desert of poor surf. A bit of swell pops up here and there, but the wind is almost always cross-onshore and it’s messy. On Monday the 17th there’s 5ft swell from the ESE but again, cross-onshore winds and short period around 7 seconds—it’s a bumpy, weak mess. The water temp sits at 65°F, which is about normal for the time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

It’s not until Wednesday the 19th of August morning that we get a slight glimpse of something rideable. The swell drops to 4ft from the SE with a 7-second period and the wind turns light cross-off from the WNW. Clean surf, but it’s weak—energy is only 181. That’s “surfable” but nothing to get excited about. Thursday the 20th of August morning gets glassy with a WSW breeze, but the swell is tiny at 3ft and the energy is just 96. You could get a few grovelly ones if you’re desperate.

Now, if you’re patient, there’s a real standout hiding at the end. Monday the 24th of August afternoon is your best bet. The swell picks up to 6ft from the south at 10 seconds—moderate period, not too short—and the wind goes glassy from the SSW. The wave energy is 547, solid and clean. The forecast says “expect very good surf conditions,” and for this run, that’s the gold. Fingal Bay is a beach and point break, very consistent, exposed to the south swell. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, and 6ft is right in the sweet spot for intermediate and keen beginners too. The crowds can be around sometimes, so you might have a few mates out. The swell direction from the south matches the optimum for this break, so the lines should wrap in nicely.

Following that, Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th of August drop back to weak, small swell around 3ft, and the winds stay cross-off, so it’s clean but tiny. Then Thursday the 27th of August afternoon sees another pulse—6ft southerly swell with a 10-second period and fresh WNW cross-off wind. Energy bumps to 652, but the wind is strong at 19 mph, which will keep the surface clean but could be a handful. Friday the 28th of August morning has 7ft south swell, 10-second period, and cross-shore WSW wind at 12 mph—energy at 791, but that cross-chop will make it lumpy. The afternoon gets 7ft from the south, but the wind goes cross-onshore from the SE, so it’ll get choppy again.

Overall, the first two weeks are a write-off. The real highlight is Monday the 24th of August afternoon—that glassy, clean 6ft south swell at Fingal Bay is the only proper session in this whole outlook. After that, there’s promise but it’s less certain, and the winds get tricky. If you’re a kiter, the stronger wind days in the first week might appeal, but for paddle surfing, you’ve got one date circled on the calendar.

Rusty.

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