Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at what's on the cards for Friendly Beaches over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got a few windows where it’ll be worth paddling out.

Right now, things are pretty flat and ordinary. The first few days are a write-off with tiny swell and poor conditions, so you’re better off saving your energy. The real action doesn't kick off until Thursday, August 20th. That morning, we’ve got a solid 6ft swell pushing in from the NNE with a clean, cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is strong at 610, and the forecast is for very good surf. This is the standout session of the whole outlook – clean, punchy, and plenty of push. The water temp here is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual.

That afternoon holds similar quality, with a 6ft swell from the north and the same clean conditions. This is the one to circle on your calendar. It’s a exposed beach break, so it’ll be handling that size well, and with those cross-off winds, it’ll be a joy. Don’t expect it to be empty though – crowds are possible, so get in early.

After that little burst, it backs off a bit. Friday the 21st has some clean but smaller waves around 3ft, nothing special but rideable. Saturday the 22nd is clean and offshore but tiny at 2ft - a grovel board day if you’re desperate.

Sunday the 23rd morning sees a new pulse of 4ft south swell with clean cross-off winds. Moderate energy (227). It’s a solid option, not a standout, but a good backup.

Then we hit a bit of a lull again through Monday and Tuesday, with small, long-period S swell that’ll be pretty straight and weak at the beach. Not worth the effort for the most part.

Now, looking further ahead, there’s a promising but more uncertain window around Tuesday, August 25th. We’ve got a big spike in energy – 1553 – with a 4ft S swell and a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The wind is clean and cross-off. The caveat here is that long-period south swell can be tricky at a beach break, tending to run straight. But if it lines up, it’ll have real power. The afternoons get a bit messy with cross-shore winds and bigger 7ft surf, which is more for the experienced crew.

The real long-range bright spot, however, is Saturday, August 29th. The morning session shows a clean, cross-off wind with a 6ft NE swell and strong energy at 521. Forecast is for very good surf. It’s a good week out, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but this one has the potential to be the best run since that Thursday the 20th. The afternoons get blown out with onshore wind, so make it an early one.

Overall, the best bet is Thursday, August 20th, with Saturday, August 29th as a promising dark horse. Don’t bother with the first few days.

Stay wet,
Rusty

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