Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Freshwater West. To be straight with you, this stretch of coast is going to be a tough one for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, quiet gap ahead before any real surf shows up.

The first few days, from the 21st right through to the 25th of August, are essentially flat. There’s small, weak southwest swell in the water, but it’s barely pushing 1 ft to 2 ft, and the combined wave energy is just a whisper (46 to 84). The wind is messy, mostly cross or cross-off, and the forecast says “poor surf conditions” across the board. You’d be wasting your time.

It’s not until the morning of Wednesday the 26th that we see a jump in size, with a 6 ft swell from the SSW. But here’s the kicker – the period is a short, crumbly 6 seconds, and the wind is a strong, onshore SSE breeze at 22 mph. The combined energy climbs to 256 (moderate), but it’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and just plain ugly. Not a surfer’s wave. Probably more fun for a kite surfer on a day like this, honestly.

The 27th of August, Thursday morning, offers a glimmer. The swell drops to 3 ft with an 8-second period, but the wind swings light and cross-off from the SE, and the forecast actually says “expect good surf conditions.” The combined energy is 224 (moderate). It’s small, but if you’re desperate for a paddle and a few clean little runners, that’s your window. The water temperature is 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – nothing wild, but a nice little bonus.

After that, it’s a long, bleak stretch of onshore winds and building but messy swell. The 28th to the 31st of August is all onshore wind, with swell sizes up to 7 ft but with short periods and poor conditions. The morning of the 30th of August has a 7 ft, 8-second swell from the WSW, but with a stiff cross-shore wind from the S at 19 mph, it’s a lumpy, blown-out mess (combined energy 578, moderate-strong).

The real standout, and the only time I’d get properly excited, is looking a long way out – the 2nd of September. The morning and afternoon both show a massive 12 ft swell from the WSW, with a 9-second period and clean cross-off winds from the E and ESE. The combined energy is through the roof: 1742 and 2321 (strong to very strong). The forecast says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” That’s a straight-up warning: at over 8 ft, this is experts-only territory. It’s a long-range call, so take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s the one window that could be absolutely pumping.

The days following, the 3rd to the 5th of September, are a step down – still solid swell (6 ft to 8 ft) but with cross-off winds and “marginal” conditions. The energy stays high (439 to 1001), but the quality just isn’t there for a standout session.

So, to sum it up: if you’ve got a shortboard and you’re an experienced surfer, mark your calendar for the 2nd of September. Otherwise, it’s a long wait for very little. The 27th of August is your only small, clean option, and even that’s modest.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty

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