Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a decent look at what Friendly Beaches has got cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a few sessions that'll get the blood pumping.

The water's sitting at a warm 57°, which is a touch warmer than what you'd normally expect for this time of year, so that's a nice little bonus.

Right off the bat, we've got a run of clean conditions kicking off Thursday morning. Sure, the swell's small at 2ft coming from the south, but that's a long-period 16-second groundswell, meaning proper energy. The wind's a light 6 mph westerly offshore, keeping it glassy. The combined energy is moderate (227), so it's not a powerhouse, but it's a solid start. Thursday afternoon gets even better, with the swell bumping up to 4ft from the south, still with that 15-second period, and a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze. The energy jumps into that moderate range (700), and conditions are looking very good.

Friday morning gets a bit of a reality check. The swell drops back to 2ft with a moderate 12 mph offshore, but the wave quality is just ordinary. Friday afternoon is much the same, just 2ft and a cross-off shore wind. Not one to get too excited about.

Now, Saturday morning is where we see a real highlight. It's glassy, with the wind dropping to nothing from the southwest, and the swell is a clean 2ft from the south with that lovely 16-second period. That's a recipe for silky, lined-up waves. The energy is moderate (490). This is the pick of the first week. The afternoon goes a bit pear-shaped with a cross-on shore, so make the most of the morning.

Sunday through to Tuesday are mostly small and messy, with light onshore winds and poor conditions. The swell drops right off, with Tuesday morning only showing a tiny 0.7ft S swell with 48 energy. It's a flat spell, plain and simple.

Things start to stir again on Wednesday the 19th of August, but it's not looking good. A 6ft NNE swell comes through, but it's got a short 6-second period and is accompanied by a messy cross-on wind. It's a choppy, poor quality mess.

The next real standout session doesn't come until Saturday the 22nd of August, and even then it's a bit of a wildcard. The swell jumps to a solid 7ft from the NNE, still with a short 8-second period. The wind turns cross-off from the SSW, keeping it clean. The wave energy is high (498). This is for the experienced crew only – too big for beginners at over 5ft.

The run continues into Sunday the 23rd of August morning, with a 4ft N swell and clean conditions. The afternoon gets sloppy again.

After a quiet Monday the 24th with tiny, ordinary waves, the next big moment is Tuesday the 25th of August. Two sessions here are worth your time. Tuesday morning sees a 5ft N swell with a clean cross-off breeze; energy is moderate (315). The absolute standout is Tuesday afternoon: 6ft from the north, a clean 9 mph offshore wind from the northwest, and strong wave energy (521). Conditions are very good for a solid, powerful session.

The final few days turn into a story of too much wind and too much swell. Wednesday the 26th has clean winds, but small junk. On Thursday the 27th of August, the swell hits a massive 10ft from the south with a 10-second period, and a fresh 19 mph offshore wind. The combined energy is extreme (2502). That's a heavy, powerful, dangerous wave – expert only, and even then, it's pushing the limits. Friday the 28th is still big and a bit lumpy.

So, to wrap it up for Friendly Beaches: your best bets are Saturday the 15th of August morning for clean, glassy perfection, and Tuesday the 25th of August afternoon for a bigger, more powerful session with clean conditions. Everything else is either too small, too messy, or too big.

Rusty.

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