Fingal Point and Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Look, I’ll level with ya – this next little while is not looking pretty for a paddle. We’ve got a 16-day window from Tuesday the 18th of August right through to Wednesday the 2nd of September, and honestly, there’s nothing to get excited about. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t even show up until Saturday the 22nd, and even then it’s tiny, grovelly stuff.

So, here’s the story for Fingal Point and Beach, the only break on the cards. This is a point break, exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent, but that doesn’t mean much when the swell is as weak as it’s gonna be. It’s also a beginner-friendly spot, so it’s not exactly charging, but with the conditions we’ve got, it’s more of a learner’s pond.

The whole period starts off with a lump of energy on Tuesday the 18th – a combined swell energy of 503 – pushing in at 6 ft from the SE, but with a 12 mph cross-onshore wind. It’s messy, choppy, and the wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 19th drops a bit to 5 ft, still from the SE, with a 9 mph cross-shore breeze. The period stretches to 11 seconds, which is decent, but the energy is moderate at 603, and the comment is “marginal.” It’s a maybe if you’re desperate, but the wind’s not clean.

Thursday the 20th is another marginal day – 5 ft from the ESE, 6 mph cross-onshore, light wind ripples. Energy drops hard to 269. Still not good.

Friday the 21st? Forget it. Swell collapses to 3 ft, period’s a weak 6 seconds, energy is down to 89. It’s just flat and poor.

Now, here’s the only real standout – and even then, it’s not a standout you’d write home about. Saturday morning the 22nd of August is the best of a bad bunch. The swell is only 3 ft from the ENE, period 7 seconds, but the wind swings to the NNW at 6 mph, giving us a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and the energy is low at 75. It’s small, but it’s clean. For a beginner or someone with a log, it’s worth a look. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others with the same idea.

After that, it’s a long, sad run. Sunday the 23rd morning goes glassy with 3 ft and east winds at 3 mph – “glassy” and “surfable but ordinary” – energy at 105. But it’s tiny. From there, it’s all downhill. Monday the 24th, Tuesday the 25th, Wednesday the 26th… it stays below 3 ft, with periods around 8 seconds, and the energy never gets out of the double digits or low triple digits. Most days are “poor surf conditions.”

There is a small blip on Wednesday the 26th morning – 3 ft, glassy from the west at 3 mph, energy at 100, described as “surfable but very ordinary.” That’s the second best slot, but again, it’s barely knee-high.

From Thursday the 27th onward, it’s a dead zone. Swell drops to 2 ft, then 2 ft, then 1 ft, with energy dropping all the way to 35 and 36. The period stays around 8 to 9 seconds, but it’s flat and weak. The last few days – the 30th of August and 31st, then into September – are all “poor surf conditions” with moderate cross-shore winds. The 1st of September morning actually pushes to an 11-second period from the SE, but with only 2 ft swell and energy at 99, it’s just not happening.

Water temperature at the start is 68°, about 1° cooler than average for this time of year – nothing unusual, just a little nippy for the region.

So, the long and short of it: there is no proper surf in this 16-day window. The only time you might get wet is Saturday morning the 22nd or Wednesday morning the 26th, and only if you’re on a foamie and happy to pump for tiny, clean slop. This area tends to get these blank runs now and then – forecasts can change, but right now, it’s gonna stay poor for a while. If you’re into kiting, the bigger, windier days earlier in the period (like the 18th) look more interesting for that.

Rusty.

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