Freshwater east Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your coffee and settle in. Let’s talk about what’s going on with our little slice of coast.

To be straight with you, the next two weeks are a real mixed bag for Freshwater East. There’s a proper drought of decent surf on the cards for a good long stretch, with no real recommendations for the first part of the period. From now until the end of August, it’s pretty much a write-off. We’re looking at tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. The water temperature is sitting around 65°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber, but you will need patience.

We’ve got a solid gap of over a week with nothing to get excited about. The wind is mostly onshore, cross, or just plain messy, and the swell energy is weak to non-existent. For example, Monday afternoon sees a 2ft east swell with a period of only 4 seconds and combined energy of just 31. That’s not surf, that’s a lake ripple. It’s the same story for days on end.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Wednesday, September 3rd in the morning. It’s the first time we see a mention of “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions”. The swell is 7ft from the WSW with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 608. The wind is light from the NW, giving us a cross-offshore that cleans things up. But it’s still just “ordinary” at best. The next few days are a grind of moderate to strong offshore winds but with a messy, short-period swell.

Now, the true standout… and I mean the *only* standout in this whole forecast. That’s the morning of Saturday, September 5th. It’s the only time we see the phrase “expect good surf conditions”. The swell is a solid 8ft from the WSW, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 971. Winds are light and cross-offshore from the NNW, keeping things clean. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions”, and the score backs it up. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s still a beach and reef setup, and that break is rarely breaking, so when it does, you need to be on it. It’s a bit of a long-range call, so keep an eye on the forecasts as we get closer, but right now, that’s your best bet.

After that, there's a big surge of energy coming in on Monday, September 7th, with a 16ft to 23ft WSW swell. That’s huge, with a period of 11 to 16 seconds. The combined energy is massive – 6159 on Monday morning, and a staggering 23945 on Monday afternoon. That’s expert territory only. The waves will be powerful and heavy, and the wind is strong offshore or cross-offshore. This is for the experienced crew only. The following Tuesday, September 8th, cleans up with a 10ft swell and a 14-second period, combined energy of 2909, and light offshore winds. That’s another solid, powerful day, but again, for surfers who know what they’re doing.

So, bottom line: the next week and a half is a slog. The 5th of September morning is your main target for a decent session. The 7th and 8th are for the big-wave chargers. Don’t hold your breath for much else.

Rusty.

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