Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this stretch is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some moments, but you’ll need to pick your windows carefully. The first solid call comes in on Thursday morning, the 27th of August, with a clean little window.

Thursday morning, 27 August at Friendly Beaches, the water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 57°. The morning kicks off with a glassy 5 ft swell from the SE, period around 7 seconds, and not much energy behind it (311). But that glassy wind from the NE at 3 mph? That’s the kind of clean you dream about. It’s a small, fun wave for the early crew. The afternoon turns cloudy with a cross-on breeze and a bumpier 6 ft ESE swell (712)—still rideable, but not as tidy.

Friday, 28 August morning cleans right up with a moderate offshore from the WSW at 12 mph. Swell drops to 3 ft from the ESE (234), period 9 seconds. It’s a clean, small wave—good for a sneaky session. Afternoon stays clean but smaller at 3 ft (171).

Saturday, 29 August starts small and clean with a 1 ft, 14-second S swell (99) and a gentle offshore. It’s an ebb of energy, but the glassy conditions make it surfable. Afternoon picks up a touch to 2 ft (208) but stays clean.

Sunday, 30 August sees a groundswell from the S at 4 ft with a 14-second period (608) in the morning. Clean but a bit tricky with a cross-off breeze. The long period means longer lulls between sets, so you’ll have time to paddle out. Afternoon gets messy with a cross-on.

Monday, 31 August morning offers a clean 3 ft S swell (370) at 11 seconds with a light offshore. That’s a solid, workable wave. Afternoon turns cross-on, so morning is the go.

After that, we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday, 1 September through to Thursday, 3 September is mostly small, ordinary, or just plain messy—swells under 3 ft and poor conditions. Not worth paddling out for.

Friday, 4 September morning brings a bit of a spike: 7 ft from the N at 8 seconds (788) with a moderate offshore. That’s a punchy, short-period swell and it’s getting big—7 ft is pushing it for beginners, but for the advanced crew, it’s got some grunt.

Saturday, 5 September to Sunday, 6 September is back to small and nothing special.

Monday, 7 September afternoon offers a 5 ft S swell (687) at 10 seconds with a cross-off breeze. Clean, but not a standout.

Tuesday, 8 September morning—now we’re talking. A 10 ft N swell (1102) with a fresh offshore from the WSW at 19 mph. This is a big, clean groundswell. But at 10 ft, it’s for experts only. The period is short at 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and powerful. If you’re experienced, this is your session.

Wednesday, 9 September is massive—18 ft to 16 ft S swell (6716 to 7405) with a cross-shore wind. That’s way too big for surfing here. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday, 10 September morning is the real standout. An 8 ft SSE swell (1744) at 12 seconds with glassy conditions. That’s a long-period groundswell, clean as a whistle, and for experienced surfers, it’s excellent. The afternoon jumps to 10 ft (2344) but gets cross-on and choppy.

Friday, 11 September ends the run with a 5 ft SE swell (613) in the morning, but it’s cross-shore and a bit messy.

If I had to pick one true standout, it’s Thursday morning, 10 September at Friendly Beaches when the swell is 8 ft from the SSE, glassy, and perfect for the experienced crew. The second best is Tuesday morning, 8 September, with that big 10 ft N swell and offshore wind—also expert territory.

Remember, Friendly Beaches is inconsistent, so don’t expect it to fire every day. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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