Forster Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Forster Beach for the next couple of weeks. The short story? It’s a slow grind to start, but there are two clear days where this place will turn it on, and you won't want to miss them.

The first week is pretty much a write-off. We’ve got small surf, weak energy, and a lot of cross-shore and onshore winds chopping everything up. The combined energy is mostly weak to moderate, ranging from about 205 to 436 (moderate) for some sessions, but the waves are just too small and messy. There’s a brief clean window on the morning of Friday the 21st with a light offshore breeze and a small 0.9m easterly swell, but it’s marginal at best. Same story on the morning of Sunday the 23rd – a clean 0.5m southerly groundswell, but you’ll be hunting for anything rideable. This poor stretch runs right through the 26th. Energy stays low, wind is average, and the swell directions are all over the shop. It’s a proper dry spell.

Then comes Thursday the 27th of August. That morning, a big Southerly groundswell hits at 3.5m with an 11-second period from the SSW. The wind is a strong offshore at 25 km/h and conditions are clean, but the combined energy is a massive 5388 – that’s strong to very strong. This is way too much for Forster Beach. It’s a beach break, and with that kind of power, it’ll be a chaotic closeout. Unless you’re a pro looking for a battle, stay on the sand. The afternoon is still too big at 3.0m, and the cross-shore wind will make it uglier.

Forget Thursday. The real gem is Monday the 31st of August. The morning is your window. We’ve got a 1.9m SSE groundswell with a 9-second period, light offshore winds from the SSW, and a combined energy of 726 (moderate). This is clean, powerful, and full of potential. The swell direction is from the SSE, right in line with the break’s optimum, so the waves should be well-formed and holding up. This is the best session on offer. The afternoon is still okay, but a cross-shore breeze will make it a bit bumpy.

And then Tuesday the 1st of September serves up another cracker. The morning is glassy – absolutely no wind – with a 1.8m SE groundswell at a 12-second period. Combined energy is 1015 (strong). That long period and clean conditions will produce some proper, meaty surf. Just keep in mind, a long-period swell at a beach break can sometimes make the waves break a bit too straight, but the power and shape should still be excellent. The afternoon sees a light cross-onshore breeze, so get out there early.

After that, the swell backs off through the 2nd and 3rd. It’s not terrible, but nothing special. Water temp is around 19°, which is pretty normal for the season, so you’ll still want a good suit.

So here’s the plan: be patient through the flat spell, steer clear of the giant swell on the 27th, and then make the most of the mornings on the 31st of August and the 1st of September. Those are the two days it’ll all come together.

Rusty.

Read more