Fish Boma Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks, and it’s looking like a proper run of surf if you pick your moments.

The overall pattern is a classic pulse of good, solid South swell set to roll in, with some absolute gems of clean conditions early on, followed by a messy middle stretch, and then a promising, juicy finish at the very end of the month. The water is sitting at a very unusual 57° at Fish Boma, which is a massive 6° colder than normal for this time of year—that’s seriously chilly, so factor in a thick steamer if you’re heading out.

The standout window kicks off this Sunday, 16th August afternoon. The wave energy is moderate (608) but the conditions are magic—completely glassy with 4 ft of SW groundswell pumping in at a solid 12-second period. The reef will be clean and lined up. A very good start.

Monday, 17th August is the real highlight. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the SW, period hitting 13 seconds, and the wind is glassy out of the ESE in the morning. The combined energy is strong (1793), and the water’s still clean as a whistle. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers—not for beginners at that size, but for anyone who knows what they’re doing, this is the best on offer. The afternoon holds strong too at 6 ft, glassy again.

Tuesday the 18th has a bit of a cross-on wind in the morning, but the afternoon glass-off with 8 ft SW swell (1747) is a beauty. A solid backup session.

Then it gets messy. From Wednesday 19th right through to Saturday 23rd, the wind shifts cross-on and stays that way. The swell is big—12 ft on Thursday 20th (energy at 4048)—but it’s messy, choppy, and not clean. The water is too rough for paddle surfing; honestly, this stretch with the strong winds and big, lumpy swell is more work for a kite surfer than a surfer on a stick. There’s a massive spike on Sunday 23rd with 16 ft and 15-second period (energy over 10000), but it’s cross-on wind and poor quality.

A quiet gap follows from late Monday 25th through to the end of the month, with clean but much smaller waves—around 3 ft to 6 ft—mostly from the SSE. The wind turns cross-off on the 25th and 26th, so the surf is clean but on the smaller side for the accomplished crew.

Monday, 31st August has a cracking last shot. A solid 12 ft SW swell returns, period 14 seconds, combined energy 4598, and clean offshore wind out of the east. That’s a big, powerful groundswell—best on the reef at Fish Boma where it will actually line up and not just close out. That’s your final standout: big, clean, and for experts only. The afternoon holds 10 ft as well, though the wind picks up a little.

So to sum it up: Monday 17th August morning is the absolute top pick—glassy, solid 7 ft, perfect conditions. The Monday 31st August morning is the long-range standout—big, clean, powerful, but less certain this far out.

Crowds are always a possibility here, so get in early.

Stay salty.
Rusty.

Read more