Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here, giving you the straight-up rundown on the surf at Freshwater for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, mate, it’s been a lean stretch and it’s going to stay that way for a fair while. We’re looking at a solid gap with no worthwhile surf for the first ten days or more. The first half of this run is basically a write-off for any proper surfing. You’ll be waiting until deep into the second week before things even start to look borderline rideable.

Let’s start from today, Monday the 31st of August. We’ve got tiny 1.0ft swell from the ENE, with a period of 9 seconds. The morning is glassy with a light north breeze, but the swell energy is weak, coming in at a paltry 17 (combined energy). It’s just not doing anything. Afternoon gets messy with a 12 mph NE cross-breeze. Tuesday the 1st of September stays tiny, with 1.0ft to 1ft. The wind goes offshore on Tuesday afternoon from the NW, which is clean, but the swell is still barely a ripple. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are much the same story – small, weak, and unremarkable despite some clean conditions. Friday the 4th sees the swell drop even further, and Saturday the 5th is a total dud with a 1ft short-period NE windswell and strong winds. The combined energy on Saturday morning is a low 17. Sunday the 6th has a glassy morning, but the swell is only 0.7ft. You'd be floating.

Monday the 7th of September brings a ripple of 3ft from the NE, but it’s a short 5-second period and the combined energy creeps up to 89 – still not enough to get excited about. The wind is cross-shore and light. Tuesday the 8th stays small. Wednesday the 9th through to Saturday the 12th is a write-off – we’ve got stormy conditions with strong southerly winds, blowing onshore or cross-onshore at 31 to 34 mph. The swell gets a bit of height, hitting 5ft on Thursday the 10th with combined energy up to 358, but it’s blown out and messy. Not worth paddling out.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday the 13th of September. The swell from the SSE pushes up to 6ft in the morning, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 488, which is moderate wave energy. But, the wind is cross-onshore from the SSE at 12 mph, making it choppy. It’s still not a good session.

Finally, on Monday the 14th of September, we get something I can work with. The morning is glassy, with a light NE breeze and the swell is 4ft from the SSE. It’s the first time the forecast gives us “surfable waves” (rated a 1/10). The combined energy is 318, which is moderate. It’s not a standout by any means, but after this long dry spell, a clean 4ft wave on a glassy morning at Freshwater is the best we’ve got. For a beginner spot, 4ft is a nice, manageable size. The water temp is 63°F, which is about average for this time of year (anomaly of -1°F).

Tuesday the 15th of September morning is also glassy with a calm wind, 3ft from the ENE, but the combined energy is 214. Again, surfable but ordinary. After that, the afternoon gets a cross-breeze again.

So, look, the standout here is that Monday the 14th. It’s not pumping, but after over a week of nothing, a clean, glassy 4ft wave is the only real option. The first ten days are a total gap for surf. If you’re desperate, Sunday the 13th or Tuesday the 15th morning might give you a splash, but the 14th morning is the pick of a very quiet run. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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