Golfcourse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Golfcourse. I’ll be straight with you – the 16-day window is a tough one. The setup is a beach-and-reef affair, exposed to the swell, but the wind is nearly always on it or cross-onshore, which messes with the quality. There’s a long stretch of nothing worth paddling out for, so if you’re keen, you’ll need to be patient.

The water temperature at Golfcourse is sitting at 84°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a write-off. From Wednesday 19th August through to Monday 24th August, it’s all poor surf conditions with tiny swell around 2 feet to 3 feet and short periods of 8 to 9 seconds. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s messy or just flat. Not worth suiting up.

Things start to look a little more interesting, but not great, from Monday 24th afternoon. The swell picks up to 4 feet from the ESE with a period of 15 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate at 834. It’s still marginal though, with a gentle onshore breeze, so it’s not clean. Tuesday 25th morning sees a bigger 8 feet ESE swell with a 16-second period, and the energy jumps to 2760. That’s a solid groundswell, but with a moderate cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be choppy. This is getting too big for beginners, and the wind is a problem.

From Wednesday 26th into Thursday 27th, the swell becomes very large – 15 feet to 16 feet from the ESE and E, with very strong energy readings of 11719 and 11227. But the wind is howling: strong breeze to near gale, onshore or cross-onshore. This is a blown-out, dangerous mess. Only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. It looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one.

The swell drops slightly over the weekend, but the conditions remain marginal. On Saturday 29th August, you’ve got 7 feet from the SSE with a moderate cross-shore wind and rain showers. The quality is still poor. Sunday 30th morning is your best bet of this whole period. The swell is 6 feet from the ESE, period of 8 seconds, with a light cross-onshore breeze. The energy is moderate at 655. It’s marginal, but it’s the cleanest it’ll be. The wave direction is a bit off the optimum SE. Still, it’s the only window where you might find a few rideable ones without too much hassle.

After that, Monday 31st August is messy again, and Tuesday 1st September sees a 13 feet swell from the E with a 12-second period and very strong energy of 8125. The wind is moderate cross-onshore. The guidance says it’s too big for this break. After that, it tapers off but stays poor through to Thursday 3rd September.

So, if you’re after a standout, Sunday 30th August morning is the pick of a very average bunch. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the only time the wind is light enough to give you a chance. Don’t get your hopes up too high for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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