Halfway Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on your local stretch.

We’re looking at a solid run of surf at Halfway, but it’s not going to be a simple pick-and-choose situation. The swell’s coming in from the SSW for the whole 16 days, and it’s a long-period groundswell – periods are sitting around 15 to 19 seconds, so there’s plenty of push and those nice, long rides. But the wind is from the SE to ESE nearly the whole time, blowing cross-off. That keeps the faces clean, but it’s not the perfect offshore. The combined swell energy is strong to very strong, with values ranging from 1239 up to 5835 – there’s a lot of power in the water.

Now, let’s walk through it. We start on Saturday the 8th of August with an 8 ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, but the forecast says it’s marginal and there’s a question mark over tides. The combined energy is 3113, and the wind is a moderate breeze. It’s rideable, but not the best. Sunday the 9th drops a little to 7 ft, still with that cross-off wind, and the energy dips to around 2228. Same story – a bit marginal.

Then Monday the 10th of August gets interesting. The morning has a 6 ft swell at a very long 19 seconds and energy of 3961 – that’s a lot of punch for that size. The afternoon, though, is the standout. The swell jumps to 10 ft at 18 seconds, energy hits 5492, and the report says wind and tide are favourable. But here’s the catch: 10 ft is too big for Halfway, so this is expert territory only. If you’re a strong, experienced surfer, that Monday afternoon is the pick of the whole forecast – powerful, clean, with those long-period lines. But beginners, stay out of the water.

Tuesday the 11th of August morning is also a 10 ft swell with 17 seconds and 5008 energy – again, too big for this break, but a ripper for the experts. The afternoon drops back to 8 ft and is more accessible, but the report calls it marginal. Wednesday the 12th is 8 ft in the morning and 7 ft in the afternoon – solid, but again the wind is moderate and the report says marginal.

Thursday the 13th of August is another big one – 10 ft all day, with energy over 5000, and again, “too big for this break.” Great for experts, but that’s it. Friday the 14th settles to 8 ft and 7 ft, still with a gentle breeze and clean, but marginal.

Saturday the 15th of August is notable. The morning shows a 6 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, energy at 2176, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s a good call – a bit more manageable size, still clean, and the energy is solid. The afternoon drops to 5 ft but at a lovely 18 seconds – a long-period groundswell that will peel nicely, though the wind is gentle. This Saturday is the best for the intermediate to advanced crew, with that 6 ft morning session being the standout in terms of quality.

From Sunday the 16th onwards, we’re in the second week. The swell stays in the 5 ft to 8 ft range, with consistent cross-off winds. There’s another spike on Monday the 18th of August afternoon with a 7 ft swell at 19 seconds and energy of 3993 – that’s a long-period, powerful swell, but the report says marginal. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th have 8 ft swells, and Thursday afternoon hits 10 ft again – too big for Halfway. The last few days from Friday the 21st to Sunday the 23rd of August see the swell slowly easing from 10 ft down to 7 ft, all with moderate to moderate breeze, but still clean. The direction swings a bit to SW on the 22nd, which is nice, but the energy drops.

Crowds at Halfway are listed as “sometimes,” so on those good days, you might find a few others out, but it’s not a circus.

Best on offer: For the experts, the Monday afternoon (10th of August) 10 ft SSW swell at 18 seconds is the big, powerful, clean session. For the intermediate to advanced surfer, the Saturday morning (15th of August) with 6 ft at 14 seconds and “excellent conditions” is the one to circle.

Bottom line: It’s a consistent, long-period SSW swell run with cross-off winds keeping it clean, but the size fluctuates between decent and too big for this break. Monday the 10th and Saturday the 15th are your true standouts. Get out there.

Rusty.

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