Freshwater and Harbord Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it’s looking pretty grim for a solid stretch. The first few days out of the gate are a write-off. Thursday the 20th through to Sunday the 23rd of August, there’s just nothing doing. The swell is tiny, the wind is all over the shop, and the water’s a bit of a mess. You’re better off leaving the boards in the shed for that first weekend.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 24th of August, in the morning at Freshwater (Freshwater and Harbord). It’s not a standout by any stretch, but the wind is light and offshore from the NW, so the surface will be clean. The swell is a weak 4 ft from the ENE, with a short period of 6 seconds, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and lacking punch. The combined energy is only 107 (moderate wave energy), so it’s more of a chance to get wet than anything to get excited about. The water temp is 63°, which is about 2° cooler than normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just a bit nippy.

Tuesday the 25th of August afternoon sees a little bump in energy, with the combined swell energy hitting 179 (moderate), but the swell is still only 3 ft from the NE with a short 6-second period. The wind is offshore from the NNW, so it’ll be clean, but the waves are just ordinary. It’s surfable, but don’t expect any gems.

The rest of that week and into the next is a flat, frustrating blur. From Wednesday the 26th all the way through to Friday the 4th of September, the forecast is a relentless run of poor surf conditions. The swell never really gets above 4 ft, and when it does – like on Saturday the 29th of August when we see a 5 ft NE swell – the wind is howling onshore from the SSE at 19 mph, turning it into a lumpy, choppy mess. The combined energy jumps to 245 (moderate to strong), but with that wind, it’s a kite surfer’s paradise, not a paddler’s.

The only real standout – and I say that with a heavy heart – is the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September. At Freshwater, the wind goes dead calm, glassy conditions. The swell is a tiny 3 ft from the ENE with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is only 72 (weak). It’s clean, but it’s small. If you’ve got a foamie or a longboard, you might find a few dribblers. For anyone else, it’s a tough sell.

The final week from the 2nd of September onward is just a sad fade-out. Tiny swell, poor wind, and no energy. The 3rd of September morning shows a long-period 11-second swell from the E, but it’s only 2 ft – that’s groundswell that’ll break too straight for the beach and won’t have any power. It’s a no-go.

To be honest, there’s no single session in this whole outlook that I’d call a true standout. The best on offer is that glassy Tuesday morning on the 1st of September – it’s clean, but you’ll be scratching for waves. The only other option is the clean offshore mornings on the 24th and 25th of August, but the waves are just ordinary. It’s a tough run. Forecasts can change, but right now, the ocean is not playing ball.

Rusty.

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