Freshwater east Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you about Freshwater East. It's a beach and reef setup, very sheltered, and rarely breaks. That means good surf here is a rare treat, and this 16-day run? It's a tough one. We're looking at a long, frustrating gap with nothing worthwhile on the cards.

The water temperature is sitting around 64°F, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But that's about the only bright spot early on.

We start off on Saturday the 25th with a tiny 0.3ft swell. It's cross-offshore and clean, but there's simply no power. The combined energy is just 7 (weak), so it's a total non-event. This flat spell is going to drag on. We're looking at a full week of virtually nothing. The next few days offer nothing but tiny, weak waves with poor surf conditions all round. There's a pulse of bigger swell on Sunday the 26th, with 6ft from the west, but the 7-second period is short and choppy, and the wind is a fresh 21 mph offshore. Despite the height, it's rated as poor surf. The energy reading of 295 (moderate) just confirms there's power, but the quality isn't there. This continues into Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th with dropping swell and cross-offshore winds – clean but still poor. Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th are tiny.

We finally get a flicker of hope on Thursday the 30th afternoon: a clean 3ft from the WSW with an energy reading of 84 (weak). It’s still poor quality, but at least it’s something. Friday the 31st morning is glassy with a tiny 2ft, but again, poor conditions. That's how it stays right through to Saturday the 9th of August. We see moderate swells come and go, like the 4ft and 5ft on the 1st and 2nd of August, but they're all plagued by poor surf quality, cross-shore chop, or just bad timing.

The standout in this entire dry spell is the end of the run. Sunday the 9th of August morning and afternoon brings a solid 5ft swell from the west, with a 7-second period. It's not huge, but combined with a clean, moderate offshore wind from the NW, it's the cleanest we'll see. The combined energy hits 199 (moderate). It’s not a classic, and the short period means it'll be a bit lumpy, but after two weeks of almost nothing, this is your best bet. For a spot that rarely breaks, this is the one and only session worth paddling out for. It's still only for intermediate surfers; beginners might find the 5ft a bit much.

Given the long run of no quality surf and the constant poor conditions, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days. That said, the surf here tends to be inconsistent, so a blank run like this isn't a huge surprise. Forecasts can change, but for now, keep your expectations low. Target that Sunday the 9th.

Rusty.

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