Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up over the next couple of weeks.

Monday the 10th of August kicks off with a tease. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the ENE, with a 9-second period and a moderate 691 of energy behind it. The wind is howling offshore out of the NNW at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean, but that wind makes it a real battle to paddle out. The water is at 62°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. The score tells me it’s a marginal call – not flat, but the quality isn’t there. Monday afternoon goes downhill with near-gale offshore winds, so don’t bother.

From there, it’s a long, flat run. Tuesday the 11th through Sunday the 16th of August, we’re looking at tiny swell under 3ft, weak energy in the double digits, and winds that are mostly cross-off or cross-onshore. The waves just aren’t there. That’s a solid 6-day gap with no real surf.

Monday the 17th of August brings a bump to 4ft from the ESE, but it’s a short-period 7-second windswell. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore and strong, making for lumpy, choppy conditions. This is kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing. That holds through Tuesday the 18th with a bit more size (6ft) but still short period and cross-onshore wind – poor quality.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are still marginal, with the swell around 5-5ft but the conditions just ordinary. We get some cleaner moments, but nothing special.

Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 21st of August, early morning at Freshwater and Harbord. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the E, 8-second period, with moderate energy of 277. But the wind is glassy – just 3 mph from the WNW. That’s as clean as it gets. The conditions are surfable, and with the crowd factor listed as "often", expect a few people out, but it’ll be worth it for the clean lines. The swell direction is ENE, which is a good match. For beginners, 5ft is a bit of a handful, and the short period means the waves will be crumbly.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd bring a bit more size – 4ft to 5ft – and the wind swings offshore again on Sunday morning, cleaning things up. The energy jumps to 478 on Sunday, so there’s more push. This is promising, but not the best.

The real highlight, the one I’d circle on the calendar, is Monday the 24th of August. Early morning we’re looking at 6ft of swell from the SSE, with an 8-second period. The wind is a moderate offshore out of the NW at 12 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy is a solid 806 (strong). This is the best window of the whole 16 days. Not huge, but solid, and with clean offshore wind, Freshwater will have proper, punchy peaks. Crowds will be around, but that’s the price for quality.

Tuesday the 25th drops off with a longer-period 12-second groundswell, but the wind swings cross and cross-onshore, messing up the shape.

So, bottom line: the first week is a wash. The second week has a few good days, but Friday the 21st (glassy morning) and Monday the 24th (clean offshore with solid energy) are your best bets. Get out there when the wind plays nice.

Rusty.

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