Friendly Beaches Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First up, the only break we’ve got in the mix is Friendly Beaches. It’s an exposed, advanced spot, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not the kind of place you can just rock up to any old time. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s a nice little bonus.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Friday morning (21st August) we see some small 3ft swell from the NNE, but with a short period of 7 seconds, it’s a bit ordinary. The wind is offshore from the W, so it’s clean, but the energy is weak (122). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. Friday afternoon keeps the same size, but the wind goes cross-offshore, and it’s still pretty average.

Saturday (22nd August) drops right off. Morning has a tiny 1.0ft swell from the south with a long 16-second period, but it’s coming from the wrong direction for this break, and the energy is very low (78). The wind is a strong offshore 30 km/h, so it’s clean, but there’s just no wave. Afternoon is similar, with 1ft from the south.

Now, Sunday (23rd August) starts to get interesting. The morning brings a 4ft swell from the south, period 9 seconds, and the energy jumps up to 346. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the WNW, so it’s clean. The afternoon is similar, with 3ft and energy of 286. This is the first proper window of the forecast. The south swell is a bit short-period, but it’s clean and the energy is building. It’s the best we’ve seen so far.

Monday (24th August) continues with a south swell, 2ft in the morning and 2ft in the afternoon, but the period is a nice 14 seconds, so it’s got some shape. The energy is still good (250 in the morning, 198 in the afternoon). Winds are light and cross-offshore. It’s clean, but the size is small.

Tuesday (25th August) morning is glassy, with a light southerly wind and a 2ft south swell at 14 seconds. The energy is 172, so it’s surfable, but the size is really holding it back. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-shore wind and the swell drops to 1ft.

Wednesday (26th August) and Thursday (27th August) morning are a mixed bag. Wednesday is a write-off with small, choppy conditions. But Thursday morning (27th) is a standout: glassy conditions, 3ft south swell at 11 seconds, and energy of 326. That’s clean, glassy, and has some decent push for the size. The wind is glassy from the ESE. That’s a real highlight for the advanced surfer.

Friday (28th August) morning is another glassy one, with a 3ft east swell at 8 seconds. Energy is 206. It’s clean, but the east swell is a bit short-period. The afternoon goes cross-onshore and choppy.

The rest of the run into early September is a real mixed bag. There’s a few more glassy mornings (like Monday 31st August and Tuesday 1st September) with south swells around 2-2ft and periods of 15-16 seconds, giving good shape but tiny size. The energy is there (299 and 216 respectively), but you’ll be working for a ride.

The standout sessions in this whole 16-day window are definitely Sunday morning (23rd August) and Thursday morning (27th August). Both are clean, have decent energy, and the swell is coming from the south, which is better for the break than the short-period east or NNE stuff. Sunday has a bit more size (4ft), but Thursday is glassy. If I had to pick one, it’s Sunday morning (23rd August) – the 4ft south swell with light cross-offshore wind and energy of 346 is the best combo of size and cleanliness we get.

After that, the second week looks ordinary. There are a few clean, glassy mornings, but the swell is tiny (1-2ft) or the wind goes onshore. The last promising window is Thursday 3rd September afternoon, with a 4ft swell from the NE and a cross-offshore wind, but it’s a long way off and the swell direction isn’t ideal.

The gap between the good stuff is noticeable. After Sunday 23rd, we don’t see another proper highlight until Thursday 27th, and then it’s a real grind until the first week of September. Given the break is inconsistent, this kind of patchy run is pretty normal for the area.

Overall, there’s a couple of windows to get excited about, but don’t expect a long run of fun. Keep your eye on Sunday the 23rd and Thursday the 27th.

Rusty.

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