Forster Beach (Nambucca) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty checkin' in from the Nambucca region. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Forster Beach (Nambucca) is the only spot the boys have sent me data for, and to be honest, it's a tough stretch. The water's sittin' around 68°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook kicks off on Monday, August 31st, but we're staring down the barrel of a real quiet spell. The first few days are all small, weak swell with cross-onshore or onshore winds, so don't expect much. The energy is weak (310), and the surf is just poor. Tuesday, September 1st starts with a bit of hope – a 3ft south swell at 10 seconds – but it's onshore and lumpy by the arvo.

The first real glimmer comes on Wednesday morning, September 2nd. We've got a 2ft south swell, not huge, but the wind is glassy. That's about as good as it gets for a while. The swell energy is really low (195), so it's surfable but very ordinary. Thursday and Friday are pretty much a write-off with tiny, messy waves.

There's a bit of a pulse on Saturday, September 5th, with a 4ft swell from the north-northeast, but it's a short-period windswell (5 seconds) and the energy is still weak (218). It's a marginal call at best.

Then we hit a massive gap. From Sunday the 6th right through to the end of the first week, it's a blank run. The swell is tiny, the wind is all over the shop, and the scores are bottomed out. It's a proper dry spell.

Now, for the second week, things get interesting, but it's a double-edged sword. Starting Wednesday, September 9th, a serious south swell pushes in. The morning sees 10ft at 10 seconds, but the energy is massive (1949). By Thursday the 10th, we're looking at 16ft from the south-southeast with a very strong energy reading (6427). This is a major, powerful swell, but here's the thing – it's way too big for Forster Beach. The forecast is clear that it's too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a beast. The wind is clean (cross-offshore) on the mornings, but the size is just overwhelming.

The swell starts to drop slowly into the weekend. Saturday, September 12th, sees 8ft from the east-southeast, but the onshore wind and dropping energy (1069) make it a messy, marginal call. It's still a big, powerful, and messy ocean. By Sunday the 13th, it's down to 5ft, but the wind is onshore and the energy is moderate (340).

The last few days of the 16-day window, from Monday the 14th to Tuesday the 15th, are a return to the poor, small, and weak conditions we saw at the start. The swell is small, the wind is cross or onshore, and the energy is weak (under 200). Not a great way to finish the period.

If you're a kiter, this setup might be more interesting than for paddle surfing, especially during the big swell days. But for a surfer, the standout, if you can call it that, is that Wednesday morning on September 9th if you're an expert and can handle a solid 10ft of clean, powerful south swell. For everyone else, this is a two-week period to wait out.

Rusty.

Read more