Forster Beach (Nambucca) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and listen up. This is Rusty, and I’m looking at what we’ve got coming our way.

It’s been a bit quiet to start, but things are about to wake up. The first real chance to get wet is Wednesday morning, August 12th, at Forster Beach (Nambucca). The water temp is sitting right on 67°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing weird going on there. We’re looking at a clean, glassy start with a light 3 ft south swell rolling in. The period is a solid 11 seconds, so there’s some decent groundswell energy. The combined energy is 308 (moderate), and with that glassy wind, the morning session is going to be a treat. Wednesday afternoon stays glassy with a similar 3 ft south swell, so you could easily get a good session in either end of the day.

Thursday morning, August 13th, the swell jumps up to 5 ft from the south, with a shorter 8-second period but a lot more energy (545). A clean cross-offshore wind from the SSW will keep the faces tidy. This is a solid step up in size and power. Thursday afternoon, however, the wind swings onshore and picks up to 16 mph, turning it messy. Get out early.

Friday, August 14th, is looking like a real standout. We’ve got the same 5 ft south swell, but the period stretches to 9 seconds and the energy is pumping at 674 (moderate-to-strong). Morning winds are a clean cross-offshore from the SSW. This is the best combination of size, shape, and clean conditions we’ll see for a while. The swell direction from the south is a good match for this exposed beach, so expect some proper lines.

The weekend (Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th) drops off a little in quality. Swell hangs around 4 ft to 5 ft but with a short 7-second period, and the winds are cross-offshore but stronger. Saturday morning has some clouds, but the surf is still rideable. Sunday afternoon sees the swell fade and rain showers move in, so it’s a bit of a write-off after that.

Monday, August 17th, gets a bit of a bump – 7 ft from the SE with 542 energy – but the wind is a cross-shore and then onshore, making it choppy and messy. That’s not a paddle-friendly setup; honestly, that size and wind might be more interesting for the kite crew than us.

Tuesday, August 18th, brings a glimmer of hope. The swell drops to 5 ft from the east, but the wind goes glassy again in the morning. That’s a good window for a clean, if smaller, session. The energy is still moderate (392).

From Wednesday, August 19th, through the following week, the pattern is a mix of clean mornings with moderate cross-offshore winds, and sloppy afternoons. The swell hangs around 3 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the east and southeast, with periods mostly in the 8-9 second range. Energy stays in the low-to-mid 200s to low 300s. Nothing huge, but consistent. The morning of Saturday, August 22nd, looks especially good with a 3 ft ENE swell, 9-second period, and dead calm winds. That’s a glassy, fun-sized morning.

Looking further out, the morning of Sunday, August 23rd, is another glassy one with a 4 ft east swell and a 10-second period. But by Monday, August 24th, a strong SSW wind kicks up, battering the coast and dropping the swell back to 3 ft. The last week of the forecast is pretty thin – the swell drops to 2 ft and even 2 ft with poor wind directions, and the energy falls below 100, which is weak. The morning of Thursday, August 27th, is the last gasp, with a 7 ft NE swell coming in from the north with a short 6-second period, but it’s cross-offshore and clean. That’s a big, messy lump for experts only.

So, the standout here is Friday morning, August 14th. That 5 ft south swell with 9-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and strong energy is the best we’ve got. Thursday morning is a close second. For the second week, grab the glassy mornings of August 22nd and 23rd for a fun, clean, smaller session. The crowds at Forster Beach can be a thing, so especially on the firie days, you might have some company.

Rusty.

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