Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks at Freshwater and Harbord.

Honestly, mate, it's a bit of a flat spell we're sittin' in. The 16-day window is pretty lean, and there's a big gap of days with really nothin' worth paddlin' for. We've got to start with Wednesday the 19th, 'cause that's the first time we see a sniff of something surfable, but don't get your hopes up too high. The water temperature is sittin' at 62°, which is a bit colder than what we'd normally expect for this time of year, so a steamer is gonna be your best mate.

The standout for the whole period is Wednesday morning the 19th. It's not big, with a small 2ft swell from the ESE, but here's the thing – it's glassy, dead calm wind from the NW (offshore direction), and that's magic for a sheltered spot like this. The swell period is a solid 10 seconds, so there's a bit of groundswell energy in there, you'll feel it. The combined energy is moderate at 151. For a beginner-friendly beach break, when it's this clean and small, it's actually a lovely little window. The water is still cool but it'll be a fun, uncrowded session with the busier periods away.

From there, the forecasts go pretty grim. Thursday the 20th sees a tiny blip from the NE with a period under 7 seconds – weak, messy energy, not worth your time. Friday the 21st is another tiny one with a glassy moment Friday afternoon, but the swell is so small (2ft) and the period is short (6 seconds), the combined energy is only 36, that's weak. Saturday the 22nd through to the end of the month is all tiny surf, most days under 2ft with cross-offshore or onshore winds, and combined energy levels barely breaking 50. There are long stretches – from the 23rd all the way through the 30th – where the wave heights are just too small to bother with. The only time the swell period gets interesting again is Sunday the 30th with a 12-second period from the SSE, but that's only a 1ft wave and a lumpy cross-chop, so it's a kite surfer's dream, not a paddle surfer's.

These consistent small, weak swells aren't unusual for the area when the ocean goes quiet. The wind states are mostly cross-offshore or clean, which is promising if the swell ever shows up, but for now it's a waiting game. If you're desperate for a paddle, Wednesday morning the 19th is your only real call.

Rusty.

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