Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Rusty here, with the latest on what's shaping up for the local stretch.

Honestly, it's a bit of a flat spell we're looking at. For the next couple of weeks, the swell energy is just not there. We've got a long run of days where the surf is pretty much a no-go. From now through the first week of September, it's a lot of small, weak, and messy conditions. You'll see a few mornings with that tiny 1 to 2 foot ENE windswell, but with periods hanging around 5 to 8 seconds, it's not going to have any push. The combined swell energy is barely ticking over, mostly in the teens to low sixties, so it's all pretty weak stuff. The real killer is the wind – for the afternoons, it's mostly a moderate onshore or cross-shore breeze, which chops it up. Mornings can be glassy or have a light offshore, but there's just no swell to work with.

Freshwater and Harbord is the only spot on the cards, and it's a sheltered ENE setup. For the first week, don't bother. It's "poor surf conditions" across the board. Tuesday the 25th of August might see a slight bump, with the swell hitting 4 feet and the combined energy jumping up, but the period is a short 6 seconds. The Tuesday afternoon is surfable but very ordinary. The wind is a cross-off from the NNW, so it'll be clean. Still, it's not worth getting excited about for a paddle.

We've then got a big gap from the end of August right through the first few days of September where it's all tiny 1 to 2 foot stuff and mostly onshore winds. Nothing to report.

The only real glimmer is right at the tail end, on Sunday, September 6th. The morning shows a bit of a pulse with 2 feet from the NE, but the period is a super short 5 seconds. The key is the wind: a WNW offshore at 9 mph, so it'll be clean. The combined energy is still low, so it's not powerful, but if you're desperate and the sand has stuck around, you might find a knee-high ripple. Then on Monday, September 7th, we get a similar setup. The morning has 3 feet from the NE, period of 6 seconds, and glassy conditions with a WSW wind at 3 mph. The combined energy is still weak, so for a long-range call, it's the best we've got. For a beginner-friendly spot like Freshwater, this tiny, clean swell is about as good as it gets in a drought. But don't kid yourself, it's not a standout.

For the whole run, if you're a kite surfer, the afternoons with a moderate onshore wind and small, choppy waves might actually be more interesting than anything on a paddle board. It's a tough outlook, but that's the way it is. Forecasts can change, but right now, the board stays in the car.

Rusty

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